Shut Up and Kiss Me
by Kitsune Moonstar
Summary: Thirty stories for Quistis and Seifer for the thirty kisses challenge.
1. Popping the Question

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 2: Who's Asking Who?

* * *

**Popping the Question**

Seifer sighed as he felt the hot water hit his tired muscles. It was good to be home. The last six months had been spent on a hellish undercover mission. The SeeDs he had been working with were morons, and the mission hadn't gone well at all. Oh, they had accomplished the mission objectives, but instead of two weeks it had taken them six months to accomplish them. All he wanted right now was a hot shower, a decent meal, his girlfriend, and a good night's sleep. He hadn't seen or heard from Quistis since this stupid mission started, and he he'd missed her presence.

Shutting the water off, Seifer climbed out of the shower. Food was next on his list. Then he'd track down Quistis and let her know he was home before retiring for the night. Anything else could wait until tomorrow. He pulled on a loose pair of sweatpants, heading back for the bedroom. Hopefully, there some clean clothes in his dressed. At least, he thought he had done the laundry before he left for the mission.

He blinked. Quistis was perched on his bed, dressed in a baggy sweatshirt she had stolen from his closet when they started dating. Her knees were drawn up to her chest, and her long hair had been pulled back into a single braid. He hadn't seen anything as beautiful in months. Seifer smiled. "Hey. I was going to go looking you."

She smiled weakly. "Marry me."

Seifer blinked again. "What?"

Her eyes were serious. "I'm asking you, Seifer Almasy, to marry me."

"Why?" He had thought about it before. They had been dating for nearly two years now, and he knew that he loved her. Of course, he had been planning on doing the asking. That and having an engagement ring.

"I love you." Quistis' eyes were bright. "I missed you. And I've been thinking about this a lot."

She dropped her legs, and he could see her swollen belly. Her smile was luminous as she wrapped her arms around it. He felt his jaw drop.

"Six and half months. It was probably that night after the mission in Esthar when they gave us the honeymoon suite by accident." She blushed. "I found out two months after you left, and they wouldn't let me send you a message."

Seifer reached forward to touch her stomach. He pressed his hand flat against the swell of their child.

"I've managed to keep it quiet so far. Only Edea, Cid, and Dr. Kadowaki know. I wanted you to know before I made any announcements." Quistis bit her lip. "Do you mind?"

He knelt down in front of her, taking her hands in his. "Do you want this child?"

"Yes."

His next question was harder to ask. "Do you want me in your life permanently, Quistis? Once I have you, I'm not going to let you go. I'm not going to abandon you or our child just because we're not married."

Quistis smile was nearly incandescent. "I love you. I want and love this child, and I want a life with you."

Seifer kissed her. "Good."

"So is that a yes?"

"What do you think?" He kissed her again then dropped a kiss on her belly. "Of course."


	2. No Words to Say

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 30: Say It Without Saying "Will You Marry Me?".

* * *

**No Words to Say**

This was completely ridiculous. Garden had fallen into chaos. It had been struck by an unexpected enemy it couldn't fight. Quistis fought the urge to bang her head against the wall. She did not need this. An epidemic of acute laryngitis had gripped Garden, and nearly no one had been spared. It did not make for a comfortable living environment. There had been more fights and misunderstandings in the last twenty-four hours than in the past year. And of course she had been stuck sorting things out. She had gone through five pads of paper in the last three hours alone. All she wanted was a hot bath and a nap. And her voice back but that wasn't likely for another few days.

Footsteps sounded behind her. Quistis sighed and turned, expecting to have to sort out another fight. Instead she found her boyfriend of two years. Seifer grinned at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Letting out another sigh, Quistis leaned into him. At least she didn't have to worry about him spoiling the moment with a sarcastic comment. Seifer just squeezed her shoulders and directed them towards on of the balconies. Quistis raised an eyebrow at him, but Seifer just shrugged.

She would have asked him to just write down what he wanted, but she had used up the last of her paper twenty minutes ago. So instead she left him lead her outside, turning her to face him. He took one of her hands and placed a little black box tied with an emerald ribbon in her palm. Quistis raised an eyebrow. She couldn't think of the occasion. It wasn't her birthday, their anniversary, or any major holiday. Seifer just pointed at the box.

Quistis pulled the ribbon off and lifted the lid. Inside on a velvet bed lay a delicate gold band mounted with a single pale blue diamond. She blinked and pointed at herself, the question clear. Seifer nodded, and her gaze dropped back to the ring. Carefully pulling the ring out of the box, she held it out to him. He took with a puzzled look, clearly confused. Quistis imperiously held out her own hand. Realization dawned and a true smile spread across his face. Seifer slid the ring onto her finger before gathering her into his arms and kissing her breathless.

Words were definitely overrated.


	3. A Little Too Late

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 1: The Ring's on the Other Hand.

* * *

**A Little Too Late**

Seifer was a man on a mission. He hadn't seen his girlfriend for more than five minutes in the past week, and today he was taking her out to lunch, even if he had to kidnap her to do so. Quistis had been sitting in on the inter-Garden leadership meetings along with Squall and Xu. She was mostly there as an observer and to make sure no one killed each other. Seifer had no doubt that the whole thing was giving her migranes.

He had plans however. Lunch today, and hopefully, dinner tomorrow night. There was a diamond ring tucked away in his sock drawer that Seifer had bought just before his latest mission. He had everything planned out: dinner, dancing, and a walk along Balamb's waterfront. Now all he needed was Quistis.

Luck was with him. Seifer caught sight of Quistis slipping out of the conference room, her arms full of papers.

"Quistis."  
A smile lit her face, and she made her way over to him, tucking the papers into the crook of her arm. She raised her left hand to brush the hair out of her face, Quistis had taken to wearing it down lately, and he caught sight of a delicate saphirre and amethyst engagement ring. The butterflies in his stomach turned to stone. He was too late. Someone had beaten him to asking her, and she had accpeted.

"Hey," Quistis smiled. "I'm done for the day. Do you want to do something?"

"Who is it?"

"What?" She looked confused.

"Who is he, Quistis?"

"Seifer, what on earth are you talking about?" A frowned marred her pretty face.

He grabbed her wrist, holding her hand between them. "This, Quistis. Now who is he?"

"Oh. Oh." Realization dawned, and a gentle smile softened her face. "It's that ring Matron gave me for my twenty-first birthday. The one she said was my mother's. I normally wear it on my right hand, but one of the student's accidentally clipped me with a fire spell. It's not a bad burn, but it hurts too much to wear the ring there today. I will admit, though, it came in handy today."

The angry, panicky feeling in his chest was starting to ease. "Oh?"

Quistis blushed. "I, um, told the imstructor from Trabia that kept hitting on me that it was yours. It was the only way I could get him to leave me alone."

"Then you'll marry me?" It slipped out before he could stop himself.

She looked up at him, surprise written all over her face. "Was that a proposal?"

It was too late to back out now. "Yes."

"Yes."

He swooped down to kiss her. Quistis dropped the papers as her arms came up around his. Seifer finally pulled away, resting his forehead against hers.

"Good." He smirked. "The ring is in my sock drawer. I was going to ask you tomorrow night."

"Seifer!" She smacked his shoulder before kneeling to retrieve her papers. "It better not smell like your socks or I'm making you get me a new one."

He just laughed. "So, lunch?"


	4. Already Taken

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 17: I Can't Say "I Love You".

* * *

**Already Taken**

Morning sickness was a pain in the ass. Quistis was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she was two months pregnant, and not being able to eat breakfast was not helping. Well, that wasn't exactly true. Her breakfasts had been reduced to tea, toast, and crackers, and she missed scrambled eggs. Unfortunately, they just made the nausea worse these days.

What Quistis really wanted was Seifer. This was partially his fault, and he should at least be here to hold her hair back while she threw up. But, no, Seifer was on a several month long undercover mission, and no nonessential communication with the team was allowed. And as much as she disagreed, personal messages between a couple did not count as essential communication.

No one knew she was pregnant except for Dr. Kadowaki, Edea, and Cid, and Quistis planned to keep it that way until she had a chance to talk to Seifer. She did not need the whole of Garden gossiping about her pregnancy before she had a chance to talk to the child's father about it. They had never discussed children, and while Quistis was terrified by the prospect of having a child, she was also thrilled by it. She hoped Seifer would feel the same.

"Instructor Trepe?"

Quistis paused and turned to face the young man. He was one of the SeeDs who had transferred from Trabia after the Sorceress War. "I'm not an Instructor any more. Quistis is just fine."

The man smiled at her, and she racked her brain to try and remember his name. He was a marksman, Trabian, dark hair, blue eyes. She should know his name.

"Do you have a minute, Quistis? There was something I wanted to ask you about."

What she really wanted was a nap and perhaps a bowl of mint ice cream with peanut butter. "Of course."

He took her hand and knelt before her. "Quistis Trepe, do me the great honor of being my wife."

He let go of her hand to produce a ring from his pocket. Quistis blinked, one hand coming up to cover her mouth, the other pressing against her still flat stomach. There were so many things wrong with this scenario that she didn't know where to begin. How the hell was she supposed to handle this? She couldn't even remember the man's name for Hyne's sake.

"I'm truly flattered," she began, "but I honestly can't accept."

"What do you mean?" His rose to his feet.

Quistis bit her lip, kissing her hopes of not making a scene goodbye. She didn't want to hurt this young man, but how could she honestly accept this proposal. If Seifer were here, he'd laugh, wrap his arms around her waist, and inform this fool she was taken. It would annoy her at the time, but it would be easier than this.

"I barely know you. I can't really commit to a lifetime partnership without at least some sort of friendship between us first." Quistis took a deep breath, her nausea was coming back. "I don't even know your name. Besides, I'm already in a relationship."

"But I adore you. We were made for each other!"

Quistis lost her battle with the morning sickness and threw up on his shoes. She hoped he got the point.


	5. Life or Death

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 5: Everything But the Kitchen Sink.

* * *

**Life or Death**

Quistis sighed and rubbed her temple, doing her best to appear interested in what the diplomat was saying. It wasn't like the man was telling them anything new. She could have told Squall that diplomacy was not going to work in this case, but the negotiations had been a project of Rinoa's, and he wouldn't have listened. So, she had kept her peace and was now mapping out possible escape routes for herself and Zell when things went south.

Thankfully, their hosts were willing to wait until the garden party that evening to make their feelings on the negotiations known. It had a number of possible exits; that was if she and Zell could fight their way to any of them. Quistis was just grateful that her whip fit in the purse she was carrying. She and Zell were outnumbered. On the other hand, they were both highly trained SeeDs. She still didn't like the odds. A gunblade cut through the attack to her right, and a familiar presence slid into place at her side.

"I think your negotiations are concluded," Seifer smirked. "Honestly, Quisty, can't you stay out of trouble for once?"

"This isn't my fault," she snapped back, "and what are you doing here anyway?"

He shrugged. "I ran into messenger girl the other day, and she mentioned you were here. I though you could use some decent company. Chicken Wuss, stop staring and keep fighting. You're going to get us all killed."

Zell immediately snapped back into battle mood. But even with Seifer's help, they were badly outnumbered. This was not looking good for them. Pressed up against Seifer's back, Quistis scanned the area for a viable exit. Maybe if they could just punch a hole through the group on the left, they could get out into the street below. Seifer nudged her shoulder.

"Quisty?"

"What?" She snapped. This was really not the time for a conversation

"Marry me?"

"What?"

"Will you marry me?"

"You mean if we survive this?"

He shook his head. "I mean regardless."

"Why?"

"Cause I love you."

An opening appeared by Zell, and they back toward it, Quistis signaling Zell to go ahead.

"Yes."

They made it out. It was a close thing, and ended up involving a high speed car chase. But they made it the safe house that had been set up on the edge of town, and that left her with dealing with Seifer and Zell. Well, Seifer wasn't that bad. They had made their peace during his and Matron's trials, and their friendship had started soon after that. Unfortunately, he and Zell still got along about as well as fire and gunpowder. They could go at each other over everything but the kitchen sink, and they could probably find some reason to argue about that too. And they were giving her a headache.

"We could have managed just fine without your interference!"

"Managed to get you both killed. Not that anyone would miss you, but the world would miss Quistis."

She raised a hand to temple to ward off the oncoming migraine. Seifer broke off yelling to glance at her.

"You're hurt."

"It's nothing." It was throbbing a little, but it really wasn't that bad.

"You're bleeding, Quisty. That's not nothing."

Seifer sat her down on one of the cots with a first aid kit. Quistis sighed. It really wasn't a bad injury, a mere scratch more than anything, but she let him fuss. It was easier than arguing with him at any rate. Seifer gently wrapped the long gash, and Quistis bit her lip.

"Were you serious? About wanting marry me, I mean."

He tucked the tail end of the bandages in and pressed a kiss to her palm. "Yes, Quistis. I'm serious. Is your answer still yes?"

Quistis nodded. Seifer grinned and leaned into kiss her properly. She slipped her arms around his neck to help his effort. Zell groaned and made gagging noises. Quistis pulled away from Seifer's lips and smiled at him.

"Shut up, Zell," they chorused.


	6. All the World

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is AU. Theme 22: All the Romantic Clichés.

* * *

**All the World**

Single's Awareness Day was Quistis' least favorite holiday, and Valentine's Day was a bad time to be trying to hold a serious rehearsal, even if the show did open in two weeks. It also didn't help that the director had run off for his own little romantic liaison leaving her to do all the work. She was tempted to call the whole thing off, but they did need the practice. The revival of _Oklahoma_ opened at Balamb's most famous theater in just two weeks, and while things were coming together, there was still a lot of work to do.

But it didn't help when most of her cast and crew were paired off and more interested in each other at this moment than working on the play. It also didn't help her mood any that every where she turned she found all the romantic clichés: bouquets of red roses, heart shaped boxes of chocolates, diamond jewelry. It was rather much. And it emphasized one fact about her above all others.

Quistis was single. Well, sort of. She really didn't know what her relationship with Seifer Almasy, one of the lead actors, was. He was one of her oldest companions; they had been at the same orphanage together when they were children. The two of them weren't dating as they didn't go out together much, nor did they live together, but most of the time they could be found at each other's place. They had never put a name on their relationship. Seifer was simply always there when she needed someone, and she did the same for him. And they had great sex.

The only problem was she had fallen in love with him, and she was desperately afraid to tell. It could change everything between them. For all she knew Seifer was just interested a good time. Quistis had a bad track record with relationships. Her birth parents had died when she was three. Her adoptive parents had sent her back into the system at ten. She had always been the loner at the foster homes after that. And her romantic relationships didn't even bear thinking about. No, Valentine's Day was not helping her mood at all.

"All right, people," Quistis called. "Let's get to work."

There were groans all around. She ignored them, but she couldn't ignore the fact that nobody was moving. Quistis sighed.

"Come on. If we can get through the whole second act today, I'll let you go home early," she wheedled.

"But, Quisty," that was Selphie who played Ado Annie, "it's Valentine's Day."

Selphie was curled up in the lap of her boyfriend, pouting and looking at Quistis with puppy-dog eyes. Quistis thanked every deity known that after years of living with Selphie as a child, she was mostly impervious to that look.

"Be that as it may, we still need to work on the second act today."

"Come on, Quistis." Rinoa, the other female lead, cajoled. "One day off can't hurt. We'll work extra hard tomorrow."

"I'm sorry, but we really need to work on act two."

Others took up the cause, and Quistis soon found herself inundated with begging and pleas for the day off. As much as she wanted to give in to them, the director would kill her if she didn't get them to make some progress on the second act.

"Sorry, folks. Let's get to work. The sooner we get started the sooner we can leave."

The cast finally started to move into position for the beginning of act two, and Quistis let out a sigh of relief. Seifer grinned at her as he took up his position. The managed to get through the act's opening musical number and onto the auction of the lunches when things started to get out of hand. Quistis was having a hard enough time keeping people focused, they kept sneaking off between scenes to make out, and after hauling one of the minor actresses out of the wings for the third time, the girl lost it.

"Listen," she snarled at Quistis, "I'm sure you don't get it, being as no man would want such workaholic bitch, but some of us have plans for today that don't involve being stuck in a musty old theater."

Quistis bit her lip and blinked back sudden tears. She didn't deserve that, and it shouldn't hurt so much. She could hear the silence around them. She didn't look around at the others. She didn't want to see their pity or their agreement.

"Let's take a ten minute break then start from the top again." She wanted a chance to have a good cry in the bathroom and compose herself. Then she would get through this damn rehearsal and go home and have a pint of chocolate fudge ice cream.

She turned on her heel, heading for the bathroom, when an arm snagged her around the waist.

"Come're, Quisty."

Seifer drew her to the center of the stage, turning her to face out to the seats. Taking one of her hands in each of hers, Seifer dropped to one knee.

"Quistis Cariad Trepe, you have been my best friend and closest confident. You have been there for me whenever I needed someone. You've seen me at my worst and at my best. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you. Will you marry me?"

Seifer just smirked up at her while everyone else stared at them. She nearly choked under the weight of their looks; they wanted a show. She'd have to give them one.

"Yes," she managed to whisper. Then in a louder voice, "A thousand times yes."

Leaping to his feet, Seifer bent her back in a dramatic kiss. When he finally released her lips, a small black box was pushed into her hands.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Quisty."


	7. Teacher's Pet

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is AU. Theme 24: Opposites Attract.

* * *

**Teacher's Pet**

Seifer stood back and admired his handiwork. Double checking the table that served as the teacher's desk and podium, he grinned. Most people thought they would never get this far. He would admit that they were an unlikely pair: the academic star of the university and the athlete who had never finished his degree. But they had been dating since she had entered grad school, and this year would see their fifth anniversary as a couple. Seifer nodded to himself. Everything was prepared. Now all that was left was to wait. With a smirk, he seated himself in the back of the lecture hall, ready for the fun to start.

* * *

Quistis was running late. Her morning had been hellish so far. Everything from oversleeping her alarm to a hysterical student in her office had delayed her. The young assistant professor was beginning to regret agreeing to teach a ten-fifteen classes. She hadn't even had a chance to get her regular tea at the local coffee shop or a pastry to nibble on before class. It was not a good way to start her day, especially since she had a meeting with her dissertation committee only a half hour after class. She was only a year away from her doctorate at this point.

Still she made it to the classroom with just a minute to spare. Today was the midterm review, she didn't want to miss anything. Setting her lecture notes down on the table, Quistis frowned. Something was up. Her students were almost never this quiet. Quistis carefully scanned the room. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Her boyfriend was sitting in on the class, but that wasn't out of the ordinary, and her students were used to it by now.

"All right, today's the World Mythology midterm review. You all must know that given the class' population has increased by nearly half. That won't save you by the way, but it may help your grades some."

Quistis glanced down at her notes and reached for one of her dry erase pens. Noticing the other paper on the table, she frowned. It read: Turn around. She turned to the white board, the dry erase marker dropping from her fingers. In bright green letters it read: Quistis, will you marry me? An arrow next to those words pointed down to the shelf at the bottom of the white board where she found an apple. Encircling the stem was a gold ring bearing a pale blue diamond.

She carefully picked up the apple, slipping the ring from the stem. She set the apple on desk and put the ring on, holding her hand up so the class could see. Seifer was now standing in the aisle, hands shoved in his pockets and a familiar smirk on his face.

"So, did I get an A, Professor Trepe?"

It was her turn to smile. "Full marks, Mr. Almasy."

The next thing she knew, Seifer was pulling her into his arms for a kiss. Her class broke into cheers and applause while Seifer did his best to wipe any thought of school work out of her mind. He pulled away with a smile. "Can I take you out to breakfast after class? I'll have you back in time for your dissertation meeting."

"That sounds lovely." Quistis kissed him again. "I'll see you after class, Seifer."

Her class groaned. Seifer just smirked as he strode out of them room. Quistis glanced at her notes before meeting the dismayed faces of her students. She grinned at them, picking up the apple and taking a bite. "I don't see how my engagement affects your midterm next week."


	8. Ten Thousand Miles

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set before the game. Theme 4: Every Single Obstacle.

* * *

**Ten Thousand Miles**

Seifer wandered down the beach, biting his lip. Matron had sent him to go find Quistis. She had been trying to hide the fact that she was upset, but he could tell that the woman who cared for them had been crying. They had visitors at the orphanage earlier in the day, and he figured they were the cause of the trouble. And if Matron was upset, Quistis was probably also upset which was why he had come to the beach.

Quistis liked the beach almost as much as he did, and whenever she wanted to be alone she would come out here. So Seifer wasn't surprised when he found her halfway down the beach perched on a rock with her knees drawn up to her chest.

"Hey, Quisty, Matron wants you to come back now since dinner's going to be soon."

Her head shot up, and she scrubbed her hand across her eyes, trying to hide her tears.

"Coming."

Seifer frowned. He didn't know what was wrong, but since both Matron and Quistis were upset, it had to be serious.

"Quisty?"

She scrubbed at her eyes. "It's nothing."

"You're crying." Quistis didn't cry. At least not in public. "Tell me what's wrong."

He hated seeing her cry. Tears were something that Seifer didn't know how to fix. Truthfully, he didn't like it when any of the girls cried, but Quistis was the worst. Yes, Quisty was bossy and a know it all, but she was the only one who had been here also long as he had, and that meant something to them both. She and Matron were the two most important people in his life.

Quistis bit her lip. "Those people who were here are the Trepes. They've been here before. They want to adopt me."

She suddenly burst into tears.

"Matron doesn't want me to go, and I don't want to go, but they say I have to. Matron's upset now, and it's my fault. If I go, I won't every see any of you again!"

He took her hand in his. "We will meet again, Quisty. I promise."

She tried to get free. "You can't promise that. I'll go with them, and I'll never see Squall or Selphie or Zell or Matron or you again!"

Seifer let go of her hand and hugged her. Quistis collapsed against him crying. Not knowing what to do, he just held her. When she finally stopped crying, he let go and stepped back from her.

"Then we'll make a reason that I have to find you again." He took her by the hand again, his face serious. "Quistis Cariad Serian, will you marry me?"

Her blue eyes went wide. "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you."

He nodded. "Good. Now I'll have to find you because I can't have a wedding with out my bride, can I?"

She gave him a weak smile and nodded.

They stood there at the edge of the sea where the water kissed the shore, their new promise lingering between them.

Quistis squeezed his hand. "Can we stay out here a little longer? Please?"

Seifer squeezed back. "Sure."

* * *

With the two seven year olds yet to return to the orphanage, she had ventured out to bring them in for dinner. Edea found her favorite children curled up together on the sand. Seifer had a possessive arm wrapped around Quistis. She smiled and reluctantly went to wake them. It was time for dinner.


	9. Fire and Ice

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 26: A Fight.

* * *

**Fire and Ice**

People were moving away from her as she passed them in the halls. Quistis couldn't blame them. She was quite willing to turn the next person who annoyed her into an icicle. She had been push too far, and a chill pervaded the air around her. Since Ultimecia's defeat, her teaching license had not been restored. Quistis actually wouldn't have cared about that if she hadn't been drafted as the all purpose substitute and teaching assistant. Basically, she was doing all the work the other Instructors didn't want to do. Plus she was still being sent on missions and Squall expected her to help him with the administrative side of running Garden. He claimed he didn't understand how all the paperwork worked.

She was utterly exhausted. She barely did anything that wasn't somehow related to work, and she was sick of it. No one else had this kind of workload, and if Rinoa or Selphie blew off work to spend some time with their boyfriends, they got away with it. The one time she tried, she got a lecture. No, Quistis was not a happy camper. Especially not after the latest news. Quistis had been selected to run an inter-Garden relations committee. She hadn't been given the choice of backing out.

So now Quistis was going back to her quarters to change clothes and then go kill as many things as she could in the training area.

* * *

Seifer stormed through the halls on his way back to his quarters, snarling at anyone who approached him. He wanted a shower and a nap. Anyone who got in his way was just going to have to deal with the consequences. He had just gotten back from a hellish mission with a bunch of idiots who had nearly gotten them all killed more than a dozen times. The debriefing had been even worse than the mission. He was exhausted and wanted a real shower with hot water. It would be nice to see his girlfriend as well, but he wasn't counting on that. With the way things were going, he would be off on another mission before she could get away from her work.

In the past six months they'd seen each other for at most maybe two hours at a time. And that was when they were lucky. Most of the time it was just a few minutes caught together. He didn't really blame her. It wasn't her fault that all the work got dumped on her. Of course, Puberty Boy didn't have these sorts of problems. No, he just caused them for other people. When he wanted to take his girlfriend out on a date, no one interrupted him with yet another mission or a stack of paper to sign. Seifer was seriously considering setting Squall's office on fire just to see if that would keep him from handing out more work.

He was definitely planning on lighting any who got between him and his shower and nap on fire.

* * *

They ran right into each other. Of course, this wasn't too surprising given the fact that they were heading for the same place at top speed. It didn't help either of their tempers.

"Hyne, woman! Watch where you're going."

"You're the one who ran into me."

"Are you kidding? You ran into me."

"I did not."

"You did too."

Things degenerated after that. Before long the couple was screaming at the top of their lungs at each other, the issue of who had run into whom no longer really relevant. Seifer finally threw up his hands, hurling a small black box at her head.

"Take that!"

Only her good reflexes allowed her to catch it. "What the hell is this?"

"What do you think?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking you!"

"Well, why don't you open it then?"

"Maybe I will."

Quistis carefully opened the black box and started at its contents. Seifer started tapping his foot.

"Well?"

"Is this a proposal?"

"You're the genius. What do you think?"

She took the ring from the box. Holding the ring between her fingers, she considered it before slipping it on.

"Is that a yes?"

"Well, what do you think?" She grabbed his lapels pulling him down for a kiss. When she was thoroughly breathless, she let go.

Seifer brushed his nose against hers. "Yes?"

"Yes."

"So how about a shower and a nap, hmm?"

Quistis relaxed into his arms. "That sounds lovely."

Two minutes later there was a DO NOT DISTRUB sign taped to the door.


	10. Knights of Garden

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is AU. Theme 14: Destiny; Fate; Karma.

* * *

**Knights of Garden**

Seifer smirked as Squall fidgeted. "Nervous, Commander Puberty?"

His former rival glared at him. Seifer just shrugged. He couldn't exactly blame Squall for being nervous, but he would tease him mercilessly about it. After all, it wasn't every day that Balamb Garden hosted a double wedding. In fact, Seifer was fairly sure that this was the first time in Garden's history. He wasn't nervous.

"And you're not?"

He just smirked. "I am perfectly calm. I don't have a soon to be father-in-law who despises me for stealing away his little girl."

Squall paled.

Before he could get in another dig, Irvine popped into the room. "Five minutes till you two have to get into place. Are you all ready?"

Squall gave a curt nod, and Seifer grinned. This was not what anyone would have expected when all this began.

* * *

Quistis had grasped his arm. "Seifer, what are you doing?"

He looked at her suddenly confused. What was he doing? What was going on here? The dark woman growled.

Quistis turned toward her. "What do you want?"

The next thing he knew, Quistis had been hit with a spell, sending her flying back into a wall. She pressed her hand to her side, and he could see blood. Seifer was torn. Part of him wanted to go to Quistis aide while another part was drawing him towards the dark woman.

"Come now, my knight. We have things to be doing."

Seifer took a reluctant step towards her. This was the right thing to be doing, right? He belonged with this woman. She held the key to his dreams

"He's not going any where with you."

He turned to see her hands glowing with her limit break. The woman's spell went flying back at her. She deflected it but let out a howl of rage.

"I will not brook any rivals."

She was firing spells at Quistis again, and suddenly Seifer could move. He found himself pulling Quistis close casting a hasty cura before throwing reflect at the dark haired woman. He could hear the others coming, thank Hyne. Seifer held Quistis close, shielding her from any further attack.

* * *

Quistis had probably changed the course of the Sorceress War. Seifer sometimes wondered what would have happened if he had followed Ultimecia, but he was completely happy with the ways things had turned out. That one little fight with Ultimecia had brought a number of things to light that had affected the course of the war. Rinoa had not been the only sorceress among them, and unlike with Rinoa, Ultimecia saw Quistis as a threat, not a potential vessel.

It had been a learning experience. Not only did they have Rinoa and her possession issues, but there was Quistis trying to figure out her powers as well. And of course, he and Squall had to figure out how to work together without maiming anyone. The common bond of being a sorceress' knight helped, but it wasn't easy. Quistis had threatened to lock them in detention and save the world without them at least a few times. Things had worked out though, and they had all managed to survive along with the rest of the world.

And by the end of things, Seifer was no longer uncertain about where he stood. Cid had decided that the Sorceress War could count as a SeeD exam, and so he was fin ally a SeeD. He was Quistis' Knight and perhaps something more to her.

* * *

She was leaning against the balcony railing, her hair down and dancing in the wind.

"You're missing the party."

"I just needed a few moments alone." She turned her head to smile at him. "I didn't want to spoil the mood in there."

"Oh?"

"They've all got their happy endings, and I don't know where to go from here. They decided to let the revoking of my instructor's license stand," Quistis quietly admitted. "Part of me doesn't mind. In fact most of me doesn't mind, but it's been who I am for so long. And…"

"And?"

She turned away. "It sort of hurts to see them so happy. I could walk into that room, and there would be half a dozen men who would be interested in me, but none of them would actually see me for me."

"Come're."

Seifer understood that sort of loneliness. He pulled her into his arms, tucking her head under his chin.

"You could always ask me, you know."

"I just don't want you to feel like I forced you into something. You're my knight, and you have duties to me, but I don't want you to think that you are required to love me."

That explained a number of things. Seifer pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Tell me this, Quisty. When have I ever done something I didn't want to?"

* * *

Squall and Rinoa might have had the epic, destined romance, but that didn't mean that Seifer and Quistis' courtship hadn't happened as well. They might have been a little quieter about their relationship, but all of Balamb Garden knew of it by the end of their first fight as a couple. It was rather hard to miss the screaming.

Now, a year after the Sorceress War, all four of them were taking another step down the road. Edea rest her hand on his shoulder, startling Seifer out of his thoughts.

"Are you ready, Seifer? It's time to take your places."

He nodded, following her out of the anteroom and to the alter. It had been a financial necessity to have a double wedding. The Sorceress War might have made Balamb's reputation, but it had also left them with a number of repairs that needed to be made and debts to pay. Fortunately, neither of the girls had minded the idea of a double wedding. It seemed appropriate since they had been proposed to on the same day. Seifer smirked at that thought. He at least had beaten Squall to the punch there.

* * *

Quistis was up to her eyebrows in paperwork once again. Seifer bit back a smirk. His lady had finally convinced Garden to give her her instructor's license back and had been promptly buried in paperwork.

"Ready for a break?"

She sighed. "I can't. These are due today by five."

"Come on, Quisty," he wheedled. "Just a short little break. It'll help you get done more quickly, I promise. We can take a short walk, and then you can come back to your work with fresh eyes."

"All right."

Seifer managed to get her to walk all the way down to the beach with him. They sat on some rocks, watching the waves.

"So, I have a question for you."

"And it is?"

He took a deep breath. "I was sort of hoping you would marry me."

"That's not really a question." There was a smile in her voice. "But I'll say yes any way."

And he suddenly found himself with a lap full of a blond sorceress who was quite intent on stealing his breath away. They finally pulled apart for air.

"So, do you want your ring?"

Once the diamond ring was securely on her finger, Seifer devoted himself to a through investigation of his fiancée's mouth.

Quistis reluctantly pulled away with a sigh. "I really do have to get back to my paperwork. Can we postpone celebrations until after five?"

* * *

So here they were. The music swelled, and the procession began. The library girl, Fuujin, and Selphie made their way down the aisle in matching gowns in the palest shade of blue-green and carrying calla lilies. Then came Rinoa in her gown white organza and silver lace on the arm of General Caraway who did not look pleased to be giving his daughter away. Seifer didn't care about that. His eyes were fixed on the woman on Cid's arm. Quistis wore a simple strapless gown of white tulle with a layer of silver embroidery on sheer fabric over the top and sashed with a green ribbon. She met his eyes with a radiant smile. Seifer had eyes for nothing else.

As she came up beside him, he took her hand in his. Seifer grinned. This was definitely the right destiny for him.


	11. As You Wish

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 29: Whatever You Want; Your Wish Is My Command.

* * *

**As You Wish**

"Go to hell, Squall." Quistis turned on her heel.

"But Quistis--"

She spun back around. "I. Don't. Care. I have spent the last two weeks giving and grading tests with barely time to get something to eat. Before that I went on six back to back missions without even a full day of down time between any of them. I am grateful that Garden is doing so well, and we have such an influx of work and students, but if I don't get a break, I am going to consider blowing up Garden. Leave me alone. Get some one else to do the work for a change."

She didn't give him a chance to respond to that, stalking down the hall. Quistis was at the end of her rope. She needed downtime badly, and her last two requests for vacation had been denied. She was exhausted, worn out, and not going to take it any more. She couldn't even remember the last time had done something for fun. She slumped against the door to her quarters, realizing that she had forgotten her key in her office.

"Hyne, get me the hell out of here before I kill someone."

Her door slid open, and a pair of warm hands settled themselves at the base of her neck and began to knead her tense muscles. "That could be arranged, you know."

Quistis nearly jumped out of her skin. "Seifer! What are you doing in my room?"

"We were supposed to meet for lunch. You remember, the second meal of the day?"

She groaned. "Right. And then Squall dumped another mountain of paperwork on me plus a set of inter-Garden meetings, and I lost it."

"So, vacation? Warm sand, soothing waves, drinks with umbrellas?"

"That sounds lovely, but I can't get any vacation time approved." She nearly moaned as his hands found a bad knot.

"We could run off and get married," he suggested. "There's an automatic clause for a honeymoon after a SeeD's wedding in our contracts, and nothing about informing Garden in advance of a wedding. Besides, no one can complain if you're on your honeymoon."

"Was that a proposal?"

He nuzzled her neck. "If you like. You were the one who said she didn't want to deal with the fuss of getting married. This way we avoid all that."

Shifting so she could see his face, Quistis considered this. "I take it you have some place in mind for a honeymoon?"

Seifer smiled. "There's this little stretch of beach on the coast of Centra that comes complete with a bungalow and a hammock. Best of all, the only radio is the one on the boat."

"That sounds lovely."

"Just say the word, and I'll take you any where you want."

Thirty minutes later, they were on board the sailboat Seifer had spent his first year's pay as a SeeD on, the open ocean ahead of them.

Quistis leaned back into his arms, letting the wind rearrange her hair. "Let's get out of here before someone notices we're gone."

Seifer kissed the top of her head.

"As you wish."


	12. Big Machine

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 11: What This Means For Us.

* * *

**Big Machine**

She was perched in the window of their hotel room, knees drawn up to her chest. She didn't respond when the door opened and shut or the footsteps across the floor. It was only when Seifer wrapped his arms around her shoulders, drawing her back against him that Quistis reacted. She sighed and turned her face into his stomach.

"We don't have to do this, you know." His fingers found their way into her hair. "We could just let it go."

"We can't afford to do that." Her voice was muffled. "It would ruin everything."

They had been chosen for this mission for a number of reasons. One of the main ones had been the fact that neither of them were in a relationship. Or at least as far as any of the higher ups at Garden were concerned. Of course, they hadn't bothered to ask either Seifer or Quistis. They had just started exploring a romantic relationship at the time. It honestly hadn't been a problem for them to go undercover as a couple to gather intelligence for a major mission that was coming up. At least until now.

"Quistis, I won't force you into this. I can take all the blame."

She met his eyes. "It's not you, Seifer, you know that."

"It's the situation, I know." He kissed the top of her head. "If it helps, we can kill Squall when we get back."

A weak giggle slipped out. "Seifer!"

The two of them were supposed to be infiltrating a mob group as Seath Arrans and Cass Trinnity. They had done pretty well for the last six months too. The way things were going, they would have gathered the last bits of information that Garden needed to plan their attack by the end of the month. And then the mob boss had decided that Seath needed to prove that he was serious about Cass before he could trust him with the final level of information. He had suggested to the two of them just an hour ago that Seath might want to get a move on with a proposal, so they could arrange a wedding before too long. Quistis and Seifer could either get married or forfeit the mission and waste nearly a year's worth of planning and intelligence gathering.

Seifer pulled her up out of her perch and into his arms. "If we do this, if we go through with this, Quistis, I don't want you to think it's only because we have to. I would have asked you for myself in a year or so."

Quistis wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him close. "I love you, Seifer."

He tipped her chin up to kiss her. "I know. It's mutual, sweetheart."

She let him hold her a few moments longer, letting his heartbeat sooth her. They would make this work. They loved each other, and that would be enough to get them through this all. Pulling away, she gave him a small smile.

"So, let's go get married."


	13. Love's Jewels

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 6: It's Not A Diamond.

* * *

**Love's Jewels**

Quistis hummed to herself as she made her way back to her quarters. It was shaping up to be a very good day. The young instructor had just finished teaching the last class of the term, and she had a lunch date with her boyfriend in about thirty minutes. That would give her plenty of time to change out of her uniform and meet Seifer at the café in Balamb.

"Instructor Trepe!"

She turned, the interruption not even ruffling her good humor. "Yes?"

The young man stopped before her. Quistis cast about for his name; they'd been on mission together sometime in the last year or so. He was the younger son of a wealthy family. His brothers had gone into politics, and he had chosen a military life. Gavin Kerntfield was his name.

"Instructor, Quistis," he smiled at her. "Can I have a moment of your time?"

"Of course."

To her complete surprise, he grabbed her hand, sliding a heavy ring onto her it.

"Quistis Trepe, I love you more than anything. Will you marry me?"

Speech was not coming to her lips. It wasn't every day that random SeeDs proposed to her after all. What was she supposed to say? Quistis wasn't about to say yes, but she didn't want to hurt the man either. Male egos had a tendency to be fragile and causing a scene was not on her agenda today. Gavin seemed to take her silence in stride.

"I can understand that this is something of a shock. You don't have to answer right this minute. I'll find you later."

And with that, he walked away. Quistis stared down at the rock on her finger. A large square diamond, yellow in color, mounted in platinum that was liberally studded with smaller diamonds, it was not something she would have chosen for herself. Slipping it off into her pocket, she resumed her journey back to her room. What on earth was she going to do about this?

Her mood was distracted when she arrived at lunch. The issue of the proposal was bothering her. Still, she managed to push it to the back of her mind as Seifer entertained her with tales of the latest antics from his last mission. For some reason, Squall kept assigning him missions with Zell, and the fallout was always amusing.

"And then Chicken Wuss had both syrup and whipped cream in his hair. I thought he was going to have hysterics right then and there, but he just turned to the girl and asked if they had strawberries as well since it wouldn't be a proper pancake with out them." Seifer rubbed his thumb against the back of her hand. "I've got a question for you, Quisty."

She tried to rein in her giggles. "Yes?"

His face turned serious. "Well, it sort of comes with a gift."

Seifer turned her hand over, tucking a little velvet bag into it. Puzzled, Quistis carefully pulled open the drawstrings and shook the bag out into her other hand. Delicate bands of white gold twisted and twined together forming a puzzle that held a single blue moonstone.

"I know it's not a diamond, but it reminded me of you. Will you marry me, Quistis?"

"I…oh…Seifer." Her free hand came up to cover her mouth. "Darling, I…can I have a little time?"

Her voice had gotten very small. Seifer just grinned and recaptured her hand, brushing a kiss across its back.

"Of course. I didn't think the proposal would shock Instructor Trepe speechless though," he teased.

Quistis kicked him under the table.

It was not quite the lunch she had been planning this morning, and Quistis left it feeling as stunned as she had when she arrived. The answer to Seifer's question was yes of course. She loved him, and perhaps it was a bit early to jump into marriage as they had only been officially dating for about eight months, but on the other hand, they had never been a convention couple. It was just she felt wrong accepting without taking care of the other proposal. And she still didn't know what to do about Gavin's proposal. Quistis wasn't about to say yes, but she still didn't know how to turn the man down without causing too much heartbreak. She knew how much rejection could hurt even if it was simply an infatuation.

Hoping that hot water would settle her nerves and help her think, Quistis ran herself a shower. She leaned against the tiled wall letting the hot water and steam wrap around her. Answers were not forthcoming, but she did start to feel better. Twenty minutes later the water was getting cold, and Quistis was considerably mellower. She didn't quite have a plan of action, but she was getting this taken care of today.

The knock at her door came just as she started toweling her hair dry.

"Just a minute!"

The knocking continued. Quistis sighed, wrapping her towel more tightly around herself. It was probably Selphie about another one of her decorating committees. It was probably graduation this time. Absently, she slipped Seifer's ring onto her finger, heading for the door.

"Yes?" She yanked open the door to find Seifer and Gavin instead of the expected Selphie. Blushing, Quistis tightened her grip on her towel. "Can I help you?"

Seifer's gaze had gone immediately to the ring on her finger. Gavin seemed a little more preoccupied with the view.

"Ahem. My face is up here."

The man flushed and looked away.

"Now, what can I do for you two?"

Seifer's gaze was still on the ring. Gavin tapped his foot impatiently. "Do you have an answer for me?"

His irritated tone suddenly made Quistis feel much better for what she was about to do to him. Seifer's eyes narrowed, and she sighed. He was going to be overprotective again. Quistis pointed her finger at him.

"You, inside." Her finger moved to Gavin. "You, stay there. I'll be right back."

She waited until Seifer was inside her room before following him, scooping up the other ring from her dresser. Quistis flashed him a smile. "This will just take a minute."

Returning to the door, she held out the ring. "This is yours. I can't accept it. I'm not sure why you asked me, but I can not in good conscience say yes. I barely know you, and I don't love you. We both deserve more that that."

Quistis dropped the ring into his hand. Gavin frowned. "But I'm perfect for you. No one else is a better match."

"There's more to life than perfection, and I've already had the one proposal I want."

With that, she turned on her heel and shut the door. She leaned back against and met the pair of emerald eyes that were watching her. Quistis smiled. "Hey."

Seifer captured her left hand. "So this is a yes, then?"

"Yes."

He kissed her palm. "Good."


	14. Something New

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 19: The Cat's Out of the Bag.

* * *

**Something New**

Quistis watched the dance floor from her seat and let out a relieved sight. It was finally over. She was honestly happy for Squall and Rinoa, and the ceremony was beautiful, but she was really ready for it all to be over. Quistis would be thrilled when the reception was over and the lovebirds were off on their honeymoon and she would finally be done with her responsibilities.

Carefully toeing off the blue peek-toe stilettos that went the pale bridesmaid dresses Rinoa had chose, Quistis flexed her toes. Her feet hurt, and she had been on them most of the day. She was not the maid of honor, but Selphie had ended up relating most of her duties to Quistis. The former instructor had been run ragged over the past six months. And it hadn't helped that some of the other bridesmaids were old friends of Rinoa, and they didn't like Quistis. She was simply too serious for them.

"Here. You look like you need this."

A glass of champagne was placed before her, and Seifer flashed her a grin. He stood out in his light suit against all the men in their formal SeeD uniforms. He had been invited because it was polite. She had been thrilled.

"Thank you."

He slid into the seat beside her as she sipped at her drink. They had grown closer since the end of the Sorceress War. The two of them had been working with Matron to fix up and reopen the old orphanage. Somewhere along the line, they had also started seeing each other. It had baffled most of Quistis' friends, but she found herself more than content with dating Seifer.

"So what are the chances of me getting a dance anytime soon?"

"Give me a few more minutes. My feet are killing me."

And she wanted a chance to compose herself. They had just cut the cake and done the whole bouquet and garter toss. Quistis hadn't caught the bouquet. To tell the truth, it hadn't been a priority for her, but the "old maid" comments directed towards her by some hurt. She was only a year older than Rinoa and Selphie after all, and the last time she checked being single wasn't a crime, not that she was. She just didn't advertise her relationship that much. Still, the sharp comments hurt, and Quistis was doing her best not to let it show.

Seifer tugged on her hand. "Come on, you can dance barefoot. Let's have some fun. You deserve it after all the hard work you've put into this shindig."

Quistis sighed a little but let him pull her out onto the dance floor, her shoes left abandoned under the table. Once she was in his arms swaying to the music, she felt much better. She ignored the whispers they were drawing; their relationship was not well known and gossip was inevitable around Garden. Instead, she just focused on the music and Seifer's arms around her. They swayed to the soft strains of some romantic ballad or another. The song came to an end, but Seifer didn't release her.

Instead, he sank down to one knee. "Quistis Trepe, will you marry me?"

"Oh yes, Seifer!"

He sprung up, capturing her in his arms again for a kiss. She heard the sporadic applause and the gasps and whispers. Quistis gently pulled away to nuzzle his nose.

"Seifer?"

"Hmm?"

"We're eloping."


	15. She Was the Prize

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 28: Contest Winners.

* * *

**She Was the Prize**

Squall Leonhart was a dead man. His death would be quicker and less painful than Irvine's, but he was still going to die. She should probably kill Zell while she was at it. He was most likely involved as well. Quistis was absolutely furious. No one had asked her if she wanted to do this, and if they had, she would have refused. She didn't care if it was for a fundraiser for Balamb Garden. This was humiliating and degrading, and it wasn't like Rinoa or Selphie or anyone else who had a relationship. And of course, they hadn't bothered to ask if she was single or not; they had just assumed.

Balamb was sponsoring a Bachelorette Auction to raise funds to create student union. And apparently she was the main attraction. Whoever had the highest bid got a date with her that evening. She wasn't the only one participating in this thing, but the others had volunteered. Quistis had plans for the evening, but those would have to be canceled. So instead of a pleasant evening out, she would mostly likely be stuck with whichever Trepie managed to put up the most cash for her. It was not the evening she had planned. No, Quistis had been planning on having a romantic dinner with her long time boyfriend (even if her friends and colleagues were still in the dark about him).

So, when she stepped out onto the stage in a ridiculous blue dress to catcalls, she was in a mildly homicidal mood.

"Our last bachelorette of the evening is Instructor Quistis Trepe. Quistis is twenty-two and one of the heroes of the Sorceress War. She was the youngest person to make SeeD in Garden history and has been one of our most famous SeeDs to date. Quistis enjoys reading in her free time and also likes to garden. Shall we start the bidding at fifty gil? Do I see fifty?"

A hand went up. Quistis bit back a sigh. It had started. She did her best to keep a calm façade as her price went up exponentially. Quistis recognized the two men who were the main bidders. One had been a student of hers that had never grown out of his crush on her and had become a major force among the Trepies. The other was an instructor whose advances she had never returned. Neither would make for pleasant company for the rest of the evening.

"Five hundred gil," a familiar voice rang out.

"Five hundred. Do I hear five hundred and fifty?"

The instructor's hand shot up.

"Five hundred fifty. Do I hear six hundred?"

The Trepie dropped out, but the new bidder remained. Quistis' smile was a little more genuine.

"Eight hundred." The instructor smirked.

"A thousand," came the counter bid.

"One thousand gil. Do I hear one thousand one hundred? No? One thousand gil it is then. Quistis Trepe goes to the lady in the purple dress."

Matron smiled up at her. "Come along, Quistis."

Slightly stunned, Quistis followed Matron to the edge the crowd. She froze when she saw who was waiting for her, but Matron simply took her hand and placed it in Seifer's.

"I believe that you have something to say to Quistis."

"Here? Now?" Quistis had never heard Seifer squeak before.

"No time like the present." Matron beamed.

"Um, Er. Quistis?"

She hadn't heard him this nervous in ages. "Go ahead, Seifer."

"Marry me?"

She through her arms around his neck. "Yes!"

Seifer spun her around before kissing her.

Matron smiled widened. "Off with you two. I understand that dinner and a shopping trip is planned."

Seifer set her back on her feet, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Shall we?"

Ignoring the flabbergasted crowd behind them, the couple headed for the exit. They had celebrating to do.


	16. Not Long At All

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 12: It's Only Forever. I'm just half way through and I've broken a hundred reviews. Thanks so much to my readers!

* * *

**Not Long At All**

Quistis set her glasses down on her desk and rubbed her eyes. It was barely nine o'clock, and she already had a headache. Her desk was covered in mountains of paperwork, everything from tests and assignments to grade to requisition forms to fill out. This was not a good way to be spending her birthday. Quistis turned twenty-one today, and no one seemed to remember that. Of course, she had forgotten it was her birthday until she saw the calendar today, but that wasn't the point.

She sighed and got back to work. Even though her instructor's license had not been reinstated, Quistis found herself designated as the general substitute for any classes that the instructors didn't want to teach. There was also the fact that she had ended up helping Squall with much of the administrative work that went with his position as Commander. There was a lot of paperwork, and after nearly three years of doing the paperwork, Quistis was beginning to wonder if she would ever escape it.

Of all of the orphanage gang, she was the only one who was still in limbo after the war. Squall had easily settled into the role of Garden Commander and into his relationship with Rinoa who had decided to stay on at Balamb. The sorceress had been training with Dr. Kadowaki to work as a nurse. Selphie had spent most of the first two years after the war getting Trabia Garden rebuilt, surprisingly enough with Irvine's help. However, once she had accomplished her goal, Selphie had found that Trabia wasn't really home anymore, and she and Irvine (now dating seriously) had relocated to Balamb. Even Zell had finally asked the library girl out on a date. He and Hypatia had gotten fairly serious very quickly, and Quistis would not be surprised if they got married before any of the others.

Edea had returned to her orphanage and with the help Seifer, of all people, started taking in children again. Matron frequently visited Balamb, but Quistis had seen very little of Seifer in the past three years. He wasn't really a very welcome person in Balamb. But Quistis had seen enough of him know that he had grown up quite a bit. She sighed again. This wasn't getting her paperwork done.

There was hardly a dent in the mountain when the headache struck. Quistis closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Headaches meant she should go eat something. It was far too easy to get caught up in work and forget about meals. Setting aside her pen, Quistis rose from her seat and made her way to the cafeteria. Maybe she could scrounge up a birthday treat of some sort.

A half hour later Quistis was heading back to her office, her mood no better than before. Lunch had not exactly been pleasant. They had been out of everything except for hot dogs, and Quistis had found herself the victim of two people's clumsiness which had resulted in her having to run back to her quarters to change into clean clothes. The cafeteria had also been out of desserts, and not one person had wished her a happy birthday. She wasn't sure if she was being petty about that, but it did hurt.

She had almost made it to her office when Selphie came pounding up.

"Quisty! Did you hear? Squall just proposed to Rinoa! Isn't that wonderful? You have to help me put together an engagement party for them. We'll have it tonight."

A sense of weariness settled over her. "Not tonight, Selphie. Please."

"Why not? Nothing else is going on."

Quistis smiled tightly. "Talk to me later, Selphie. I really have to get my paperwork done today."

With that she ducked into the safety of her office. She turned to her desk, and her jaw dropped. The paperwork was completely gone, replaced with a tall crystal vase of peach and cream colored roses, several boxes wrapped in pale blue paper with silver ribbons, and a cupcake frosted to look like a peach rose and baring a single candle.

"Happy Birthday, Quistis."

Seifer was leaning against the wall. He smirked at her startled expression.

"Seifer?"

"Matron's stuck at the orphanage with several cases of chicken pox, but she wanted to make sure you got your presents. Most of those are from Matron and Cid, but I got you something too."

She found herself blinking back tears. "Thank you."

"Well, blow out your candle. You can't open your presents until you make your wish."

Quistis grinned at the reminder of the old orphanage rule and leaned over the desk to blow out the candle. She wished for direction. Taking a seat at her desk, Quistis waved a hand at the other chair in her office. "Have a seat, Seifer, please."

Carefully peeling away the paper and ribbons, Quistis began opening her gifts. The first proved to be a book, _The History of the Centran Sorceresses_, and the second a soft blue sundress. The third box contained a new hair clip. The fourth a straw hat and a pair of sandals. The final box was the smallest. It held a delicate cameo hung on a slender gold chain.

She was speechless. It was so beautiful.

"Do you like it?"

She nodded, holding the necklace close. Seeking to change the subject, Quistis asked. "How are things at the orphanage?"

Seifer smiled. "Pretty good. Matron and I could use a few extra hands, but we're managing okay. Fuujin and Raijin stop by every once in awhile and lend a hand. What about you? That was a monstrous stack of paperwork on your desk. Has the instructor assigned extra homework?"

"I'm not an instructor," Quistis admitted. "I'm just subbing for three classes right now. The rest is admin work for Squall."

Seifer frowned. "You work way too hard, Quisty. Do you really want to be doing other people's paperwork for the rest of your life?"

"What else would I do? They won't let me transfer to just SeeD missions. According to them, I'm 'too valuable an asset" for that." She smiled wry.

"You could do whatever you wanted. You're probably the smartest person here."

Shaking her head, Quistis turned the subject back to the orphanage. She and Seifer chatted for nearly a half hour before he rose to his feet.

"I should get back to the boat. I'm picking supplies for Matron, and they should be arriving soon. I'll be in port until this evening."

Quistis too rose to her feet and impulsively hugged him. "Thank you for my birthday."

He dropped a kiss on the crown of her head. "You're welcome, Quisty."

After he left, Quistis sighed and began digging up the paperwork Seifer had hidden. She nibbled on the cupcake as she made her way through the reams of paper. She gave another sigh when she finished her treat, tossing the wrapper in the trash.

She could see her entire life spread ahead of her. She would still be here in this little office doing other people's paperwork. Nothing would change. Quistis bit her lip. She wanted more than that from her life. The young woman carefully drew a single piece of paper from the bottom desk drawer. Her hand was shaking as she signed it, but her signature was clear. She dropped it on the top of the pile of completed paperwork. Gathering up her gifts, Quistis also collected the few personal items that the office held. With that done, she left the office without looking back.

An hour later she was dressed in her new dress complete with hat, sandals, and necklace and carrying two duffle bags. Standing on the edge of the dock where the _Silver Sorceress_ was moored. Seifer was standing up on the deck.

Quistis grinned and called out. "Do you have room for a passenger? There's this place I know that could use an extra pair of hands, and I hear you're headed that way."


	17. Beginning Anew

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 20: A Second Chance.

* * *

**Beginning Anew**

Quistis nervously smoothed her dress. The knee length dress flattered her, and its dark blue fabric brought out her eyes. Rinoa had talked her into the dress, and Quistis would admit it did look beautiful on her. Still, the dress really wasn't the reason she was nervous. No, that had to do with the fact that a year ago Quistis and Edea had petitioned for Seifer, Fuujin, and Raijin to be readmitted to Balamb for one last attempt to become SeeDs. And that had changed things for Quistis.

She had been struggling to find a place for herself with the end of the war. The others had all paired off, and she was still single. Quistis didn't even have her work anymore. Her Instructor's License had not been reinstated. She still got sent on missions, but they were few and far between. She had been lonely, but the former disciplinary committee's return had changed that.

* * *

Matron had suggested she start a research project to fill her time. It was actually going well except for the fact that there wasn't a single table or desk free in the library. Spotting an open seat, Quistis carefully approached the table, clutching her books to her chest.

"Can I sit here?"

Seifer frowned at her. "You want to be seen with us, Trepe?"

She bit her lip. "I just need a place to work. I won't bother you."

"Fine."

Quistis spread out her books and set to work. Ten minutes later, she was listening to Seifer and Raijin debate an ice spell. Impulsively, Quistis found herself grabbing a cup of water on the table and demonstrating then explaining exactly how the spell worked. Both Raijin and Seifer had questions after that, and it wasn't until later that she caught the look on Seifer's face.

"What?"

He shook his head. "Why didn't you explain things like that when you were teaching?"

She bit her lip and told the truth. "I was terrified that my students wouldn't take me seriously."

"Huh." Seifer smirked. "So what do you know about the rest of the ice spells?"

* * *

That had been the beginning of their little study group. Quistis had soon found herself sought out whenever there was a question about their course work, and after a month, the four of them were meeting regularly for a study session. She wasn't really teaching them as they knew what the material said. It was more of helping them understand what the material actually meant. And often they had perspectives on it that taught her something.

It was fun, and for the first time Quistis found herself at home with a group of her peers. She had been so isolated by her achievements before that she had never really spent that much time with people her own age unless she was teaching them. It didn't take long for her to be getting together with Seifer, Fuujin, and Raijin just for fun in their free time. She could simply be Quistis with them, not the former instructor, not the older sister, just Quistis. And she really wasn't lonely any more.

By the winter solstice holiday, Seifer had asked her out to dinner a few times, and it wasn't long after that the two of them were seriously dating. The rest of the orphanage gang had not noticed when she started pulling away from their group. Quistis had always been on the edge of the group anyway. She hadn't told them about her new relationship with Seifer. Mostly because despite the fact that he had been readmitted, they didn't really trust him or want him there. She hadn't been secretive about it either, but they hadn't seemed to notice. The year had flown by before she knew, and the field exam was in sight. Quistis grinned at the mirror. She knew they would pass, and they had.

* * *

Quistis wore a bright smile as she saw the three of them off.

"Aren't you going to wish us luck?" Seifer smirk.

She smirked back. "You won't need it. You're going to pass."

Still she pulled him down for a kiss. "You don't need luck, Seifer. You have skill."

With that she stepped back, and he went on his way. She wouldn't admit it to him, but she was nervous. Seifer had worked so hard for this, and he was qualified to be a SeeD. He'd proved it before, even if he had been on the wrong side during part of the time. And she was afraid that Garden would deny him his due because of what he had done in the past. Seifer turned around and strode back to her.

He kissed her on the forehead. "Don't worry so much, Quisty."

* * *

Things had gone well. Seifer had made SeeD, and she was going to be late to the ball if she kept woolgathering. Quistis quickly made her way to the ballroom and slipped inside. Seifer wasn't there yet, so she made her way around the room, taking care of any small talk that was required. Rinoa snagged her elbow as she was helping herself to the champagne.

"Quisty, there you are. There's someone I want you to meet."

"Actually, I'm waiting for someone, Rinoa. Can I meet this person later?"

"It'll only take a moment. Come on, Quisty."

Quistis found herself being dragged over to a knot of young men. Rinoa introduced her and then left her there. She didn't know what Rinoa had told them earlier, but it was proving impossible to get away from them. So she was stuck making polite small talk and searching for an avenue of escape. A hand came to rest on her shoulder.

"If you'll excuse us," Seifer smirked at the men, "the lady promised me a dance if I passed the exam."

He spun her out onto the dance floor, and Quistis grinned. Seifer could dance, unlike some former graduates. They swayed to the music together, perfectly content.

"Don't look now," Seifer dipped her, "but I think Puberty Boy and the others finally caught on to us."

She shook her head. "I don't care."

"Good. Then I have a question for you." He stopped them in the middle of the dance floor, taking her hands in his. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes." She reached up to kiss him. "Yes."

Seifer slid a pale blue sapphire ring onto her finger amid the applause and surprise of the rest of the room.


	18. Lady Death and Her Knight

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is AU and has some violence and gore. Theme 9: Inappropriate Timing.

* * *

**Lady Death and Her Knight**

"Good evening, Dr. Trepe."

Quistis smiled at Rinoa who was manning the front desk. "Evening, Rinoa. Where's Hypatia? I thought she was covering the front desk while Sara was on maternity leave."

The brunette grinned at her. "I offered to cover for her since Zell wanted to take her out tonight. I'd get back there if I were you. It looks like it's going to be a busy night."

"Thanks for the heads up."

Graveyard shift at Balamb Crime Lab was always interesting, especially when you were the coroner. Quistis quickly changed into her scrubs and headed down to the morgue. She entered the room to find all the tables full. It was going to be a busy night. Quistis pulled on her gloves and got to work.

"What have you got for us tonight, Lady Death?"

Quistis grinned at the pair of detectives standing in the door. "Your suspicious death was simply a heart attack, Almasy. Are you loosing your touch?"

"Hey, that was the rookie's call, not mine." Seifer shot back.

Quistis just grinned and waved them over to the table. Seven of them who'd grown up in the same foster home had ended up working together as adults. Between the original groups and their various friends and significant others, the graveyard shift almost completely consisted of them. Of course, given that their foster father was the current lab director, perhaps it wasn't surprising that all of them had gone into some part of law enforcement.

She and Seifer bantered over the other two bodies he had sent in. They were oldest of the crew and had always been close, even if some of the time it was close to killing one another.

"So, are you ready to get your butt kicked at the annual PD versus Lab baseball game?" Seifer smirked at her.

"And who has won for the three years, hmm?"

"There were extenuating circumstances!"

"Of course there were." She handed him the autopsy report. "Here you are."

"Thanks, Lady Death. Can I take you out from breakfast after shift?"

She shook her head. "Thanks, Seifer, but I'm taking off now. I've got court tomorrow."

"Rain check then?"

"Of course."

* * *

Quistis hated court days. Court itself wasn't so bad, but the shoes that she had to wear with her suit left her feet aching for hours afterward. Those shoes were now somewhere among the potted plans over in the corner. With a sigh, she flopped onto her couch. She had time for a quick nap before heading in for the night's shift. She closed her eyes and let go.

Her cell rang just as she was dropping off. With a curse, Quistis fumbled for her phone.

"Trepe."

"Quistis, we need you to come in. We've got a multiple homicide that looks to be tricky. You're the most experienced medical examiner we have." Cid sounded regretful. "Can you be onsite in a half hour?"

"Of course, sir. Can you give me the address?"

It took her all of five minutes to get out the door. She'd swing by the lab to change clothes and pick-up a department vehicle and then head out to the site. Quistis sighed. It was going to be a long night.

The sinking feeling got worse when she arrived at the scene to find some very green around the gills police officers outside. By the looks of things, it was a more gruesome scene than even they were used to. Seifer met her at the door, his face stony, and she could see Squall just inside with a similar expression.

"You're not going to like this, Quisty. We've got three victims, all under ten. It was pretty brutal."

She nodded, steeling herself; she hated child victims. "All right. I'll give you a preliminary time of death then bring the bodies to the lab for autopsies. I'll put a priority on this."

Despite the warning, Quistis felt the bile rise in her throat as surveyed the scene. Poor little dears. No child deserved to die like this. She took care of the preliminaries on autopilot, doing her best to focus on the science not the full scene in front of her. It was something of a relief to finally zip up the body bags. She looked up to find both of the detectives still hovering.

"Give me three hours for the autopsies. I'll have the preliminary results by then, and any other tests we need will be in process."

Seifer nodded and squeezed her shoulder. Her assistants had arrived with a van, and Quistis supervised the loading of the bodies before heading back to her own vehicle. She started the car with a sigh. This was not shaping up to be a good night. Twenty minutes later, Quistis bit her lip as she gloved up. She hated cases like these. They hit a little too close to home for her. Quistis was well aware that she could have been one of those children on the table.

Her parents had been murdered when she was three, and she had been sent to live with Edea and Cid. When Quistis was eight, she had been adopted by the Trepes. That had lasted all of two years. The marriage had dissolved in a flurry of violence and accusations, and she had been shunted back into the system. And these memories weren't helping her find who did this to these three girls.

Two and a half hours later, she had most of the results. The toxicology report hadn't come back yet, but she doubted it would tell her anything she didn't already know. The results weren't good. The morgue door slid open, and Quistis looked up from the completed report to find not only Seifer and Squall but also their boss, Captain Caraway. Seifer held out a large paper coffee cup.

"We brought you a bribe. It's your regular Chai latte."

She took it with a nodded of thanks. "I have most of the results. What do you need?"

"Cause of death. We need to cut down the list of suspects, so we can find the fourth sister." Caraway spoke. "I trust you can help us with that."

"There's a fourth victim?" Quistis kept her voice from breaking.

"Not yet. Not if we get to her on time. The lab is already working on it." Seifer smiled grimly. "What do you have for us, Lady Death?"

"The cause of death is blunt force trauma for all of them. From the bruising it's clear that they were beaten with fists, not any other objects. All three victims were raped before they were killed. There was at least an hour between each death, and the two younger victims show signs of being restrained." Quistis took a breath. "From the size of the fists, I can estimate the size of the attacker as somewhere between five foot four and five foot seven. These are the full results."

Her hands shook only a little as she handed over the report. Seifer squeezed her shoulder as Caraway and Squall flipped through her findings.

"Thank you, Dr. Trepe." Caraway nodded. "I think this will be a great help."

They headed out, but Seifer paused in the doorway. Quistis dredged up a grim smile. "Almasy, nail this bastard for me."

He nodded. "Will do."

Alone in the morgue, Quistis sought to find something to keep her busy until something new came up to occupy her time.

* * *

It was a quiet night in the morgue, and Quistis was grateful. The morning had seen the end of the trial for that awful triple homicide six months ago. Thankfully, Seifer and Squall had found the fourth little girl before she was killed. Still, the trial had been brutal, and Quistis was enjoying having very little to do. She had the radio on, and the late night dj seemed to have the same taste in music as she did.

Quistis hummed along with the music as she worked over a body. Nothing special about this case, just a good old fashion heart attack. However, there was a dispute over the estate and accusations were flying every which way, so a full autopsy had been ordered. Not that she had found anything out of the ordinary. Some of the family members were going to be very disappointed.

She was so caught up in her work that she didn't hear the door open, and it wasn't until Seifer caught her wrist, spinning her into his arms, that Quistis realized she was no longer alone. Seifer simply smirked down at her annoyed expression and pulled her into a dance position. In too good a mood for him to spoil, Quistis simply went along with it, and they waltzed around the morgue.

"What brought this on?"

"I am simply having a lovely night and felt like sharing."

"A lovely night?" Her eyebrow went up at that.

Seifer laughed. "Let's see: all easy cases tonight, Puberty Boy got stuck with all the paperwork, and I got to see Chicken Wuss wade into a pond of maple syrup. And now I have the prettiest M.E. in town in my arms. What's not to like?"

Quistis had to bit her lip to keep from giggling when they waltzed passed the morgue door and heard Irvine comment to Selphie as they were passing by.

"There's just something weird about him romancing her in the morgue."

Ignoring them, Seifer steered her back towards the center of the morgue. "I have a question for you, my Lady Death."

"I'm not helping you start another prank war."

He laughed. "I was thinking about something a little more serious and permanent. Will my Lady Death give her knight her hand in marriage?"

She froze, and then Seifer found himself sprawled on one of her tables by the force of her assent. When Quistis finally let him up for air, he looked a little dazed.

"That was a yes," Quistis laughed.


	19. Sinking Slowly

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 13: Because We Have To.

* * *

**Sinking Slowly**

"Would you like some wine?"

Quistis hesitated, biting her lip, before nodding. This was probably not a good idea, but it would get her through this evening. Right now the only thing doing that was imagining the various tortures she could inflict on her date. She knew that Rinoa and Selphie had meant well, but this was not her idea of a pleasant evening. But since they had been concerned about her working too much and being too alone, Quistis had agreed to let them set her up on a blind date.

So Quistis let them arranged the date and had put up with the fussing over her hair, clothes, and make-up. That was mere piffle compared to this. Karl Bjerre was many of the things she liked in a man: smart, charming, handsome, successful, and responsible. The problem was he was also an arrogant ass who thought he knew what was best for everyone, including herself. Unfortunately, Quistis had only discovered this twenty minutes into their date, too late for her to leave.

"…and so it was clear that by not listening to me they had doomed the whole mission. Anyway, what do you think about spending a weekend in Trabia? They have the best skiing and the hot springs are just wonderful. I know a masseuse that…"

She took another sip and hid a grimace as she found her wine glass empty once again. It had been her third glass of wine. Quistis knew that it was probably a bad idea to be drinking this much, but it was about the only thing keeping her from harming her date. The man was presumptuous to the extreme and had made it very clear that he already considered her a forgone conclusion. She was not going home with him tonight. No way, no how.

Still, things were a little fuzzy right now. Quistis sighed again before smiling at the waiter and declining dessert. She just wanted to be done and go home. Finally, the idiot paid the bill, and they could leave. Despite her inebriated state, Quistis managed to make her way out of the restaurant and out onto the street without betraying too much. It was a good thing that she hadn't driven to the restaurant. They had only made it one block when Karl grabbed her arm, pulling her close.

"What do you say to a little club hopping, baby?"

Quistis pushed at him. "My name is Quistis, not baby, and you may call me Ms. Trepe. I am going home and to bed. Let go."

"Now, come on, baby. You know you want to."

Her efforts to get free were too uncoordinated to make a difference. Quistis continued to struggle with him, but she wasn't going to win this battle, and she knew it.

"I believe the lady asked you to let go of her," a voice drawled out of the shadows.

The grip on her wrists eased a bit, and Quistis managed to free one arm.

"Mind your own business, buddy."

The man stepped forward. "Quistis is my business. Let go. Now."

There was a staring contest, but Karl finally backed down. Quistis suddenly found herself alone with Seifer who was gently examining her wrists.

"It doesn't look like these are going to bruise. What were doing going out with that asshole, Quisty?"

"I had to. Rinoa and Selphie set me up with him. It's not like I could tell them I had a boyfriend since we're not dating. Why aren't we dating?"

Seifer sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "And of course you get drunk. Come one, I'll walk you back to Garden."

"I'm not drunk," she protested, wobbling a bit. "I'm just a little tipsy."

"Of course you are."

"It's these damn shoes," she explained as the reached the shore side path. "Hold still."

Using Seifer as a support, Quistis managed to get her heels off. She left out a sigh of relief. That was much better. Seifer was staring at her.

"You're going to walk back barefoot?"

"It's better than hobbling in those shoes." Said shoes in one hand, Quistis clumsily balanced on a piece of driftwood, treating it like a balance beam.

Seifer just shook his head. "Come here, Quisty. I'll give you a piggy back ride."

So she found herself perched on Seifer's back with her arms wrapped around his neck. Quistis rest her head on his shoulder.

"So why are you, ah, tipsy? You usually have more sense than that, Quistis."

It was her turn to sigh. "I didn't want to make a scene, and alcohol made things tolerable. I overdid it though. I didn't want to hurt Selphie and Rinoa's feelings though."

She tilted her head to kiss his cheek. "You're awfully cuddly, you know? Everyone thinks you're scary, but you're really rather sweet. We should get married. Would you like that?"

"Did you just propose to me?" He sounded rather shocked. "Why?"

"Cause you're sweet and kind sometimes and you argue with me. And you like Quistis for herself. Not Instructor Trepe or big sister Quisty. Just Quistis."

They had arrived at Garden. Seifer set her back on her feet. He walked her to her door. Seifer smiled down at her.

"Here you are, safely home." He kissed her forehead. "Ask me again when you're sober if you mean, and we'll see about my answer."


	20. Crazy Faith

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 3: Amnesia.

* * *

**Crazy Faith**

She woke alone in a white room. Sunlight streamed through a lone window, and the woman tried to remember what had happened. She drew a blank. Nothing came to mind what so ever, not even her own name. She carefully examined her hands looking for any clue she could find. She wore no ring, and there wasn't a tan line indicating she had ever worn one. Her hair was long and blond, but the window didn't provide a good enough reflection that she could tell the color of her eyes. She sighed.

A nurse came bustling into the room and paused, startled. "Oh, you're awake. Let me run get the doctor."

It wasn't long before a grey-haired man entered the room with a smile. "I see you're awake, Miss Trepe. That's a good sign. Can you tell me how you feel?"

"Confused. My name is Trepe?" Maybe she would get some answers here.

He frowned. "Yes. Quistis Trepe. What do you remember about the accident?"

"Nothing," she said flatly. "I can't remember anything before waking up here."

The doctor pursed his lips. "That's not unsurprising given your head injury. Well then. You're name is Quistis Trepe, and you are an instructor at Balamb Garden. You are currently twenty-two years old. You are currently at Trabia's main hospital after an accident during a training session in the mountains. You have several broken ribs and a sprained ankle. If you are doing well, I'll be releasing you in about two days."

"What about my memory?"

"With any luck, that will start coming back as you are exposed to familiar things. There is a slight possibility that you may never get it back, but that is unlikely. It may be a slow process of remembering bits and pieces or something may trigger a flood of information. Amnesia cases tend to be unique each time." He gave her a smile. "You have some friends waiting for you. I'll send them in, and maybe that will help. Balamb is sending someone to come pick you up shortly."

Quistis frowned. That was remarkably unhelpful. Especially since she didn't know what or where Balamb Garden was. Still maybe these friends of hers could help. So, she knew her name and what she did for a living. That was something at least. Now she just needed to fill in the rest of the blanks.

A half hour later, Quistis had a supposedly more complete picture of her life. Supposedly, because none of it had stirred any memories, and honestly, parts of what she had been told just didn't feel right. Apparently, she was famous. She was SeeD's, and they'd had to explain what that was to her too, youngest instructor ever. She had played a major role in a war a few years ago and clearly had adoring students who worshiped, something Quistis was finding a little creepy. She was seriously dating an instructor from Trabia Garden. James Carlston had been with the group who came to visit her. He seemed like a nice enough man, but for some reason she just couldn't imagine being in love with him.

Thankfully, due to her current state, visitors were limited to half an hour stays. Quistis found that she preferred to be on her own right now. She let out a sigh of boredom and settled down to try and take a nap. Maybe she would dream something helpful. Closing her eyes, she let sleep claim her.

When she woke again, there was a man in the chair beside her bed. She liked his eyes. They were the first thing she noticed about him. They were a shade somewhere between forest green and emerald. Quistis didn't recognize them, but they were comforting some how.

"Hi."

"Hey, Quisty." He smiled gently. "From what I hear, you probably don't remember your nickname."

"No. Sorry."

"It's not your fault. I'm Seifer, by the way. Seifer Almasy."

"How do I know you, Seifer?"

"Well, we lived at the same orphanage as kids. That's where you got the nickname, by the way. Then we were at Balamb Garden together. You were my instructor actually." He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm currently a SeeD in Balamb."

"Oh. Then are you the person sent to pick me up? I thought you wouldn't be here a few days."

"I got Selphie to fly me over in the Ragnarok. I didn't want to wait." At her confused look he explained. "Selphie is another SeeD who was at our orphanage. The Ragnarok is an aircraft Garden sort of acquired during the Sorceress War. I brought you some of your things from home. I figured you didn't want to be stuck with a hospital gown."

"Thank you."

"Not a problem. I'll call a nurse, so you can change."

The nurse helped her into a pair of silky teal pajamas before settling Quistis back into bed. Once she was dressed again, Seifer returned.

"I need to ask you some questions, Quisty. I know you don't remember anything about the accident, so I'm not going to ask you about that, but I need to know what you've been told so far."

"Why?"

He sighed. "There have been some allegations that it wasn't an accident, and that people are trying to cover it up. Because of that, they might have given you some false information."

"Oh."

Seifer caught her expression. "You're not in trouble, Quistis. I just need to know what you've been told."

So she told him. There didn't seem to be any harm in it. Seifer took notes, frowning at times. His frown deepened when she told him about her current romantic relationship. When she was done, he put away the notepad with a deep sigh.

"Is something wrong?"

"Well, they told you the truth mostly." He pulled out his wallet. "But they lied to you as well. Here."

He handed her a photo. They were both in it, Seifer's arms wrapped around her waist. Her left hand was resting on top his and a simple diamond solitaire adorned her ring finger. Seifer smiled gently.

"That was just after I had proposed. We been visiting Matron, she's the woman who raised us."

A little stunned, Quistis asked the only question she could think of. "Where's my ring?"

Seifer patted his pocket. "Right here. I got from the hospital staff earlier."

"Can I have it?"

"Of course."

He slipped the ring onto her finger, and it felt right. Quistis smiled. She might not remember Seifer, but at least he felt like he belonged in her life. They chatted awhile longer before the nurse chased him out, claiming that Quistis was getting tired. She disagreed with that statement but was overruled. To her surprise though, she did drift off to sleep shortly after that. When she woke again, she was alone.

But not for long. The nurse popped in with a smile and announced that she had more guests. Unfortunately for Quistis, the person she wanted to see was not among them. Instead, the same crew from earlier had come to visit. She wasn't quite pleased with them. Quistis didn't appreciate being taken advantage of.

"Are you here to lie to me again?" Her tone was frosty.

That got her startled looks and frowns. It was James who spoke.

"Who told you?"

"Seifer Almasy."

He barked with laugher. "The Sorceress' Knight? And you believed him? The man is nothing more than a war criminal who got away with it by claiming 'possession'. You'd be better off trusting a malboro. How do you know that he's not the one lying to you?"

Quistis bit her lip. She didn't know that. Not for sure. But Seifer felt right, and James didn't, and at this point, she didn't have anything other than her instincts to go on. She fiddled with the ring on her finger.

There was a knock on the door, and a nurse popped her head in. "Excuse me, but there's a group of SeeD officials here to see Mr. Carlston. Would you mind coming down to the lobby."

He left and took the others with him, but he left her with doubts. Quistis sighed and buried her face in her hands. She just wanted to remember. She wanted to know what she knew before. She couldn't go through the rest of her life second guessing every decision that she made.

It wasn't much longer before Seifer appeared again. Quistis gave him a weak smile, and he seemed immediately to know what was wrong. He sat down on the foot of her bed and took her hand in his.

"What did he tell you?"

"Something about you being a war criminal and that I was a fool to trust you," Quistis replied in a small voice.

He rubbed the back of her hand. "There is some truth in that, Quisty. The war criminal part at least. I wasn't entirely in my right mind at the time, but that isn't really an excuse. I have done some things in the past that I am not very proud of or happy about, but trusting me is not a mistake, Quistis."

Seifer leaned in close, gently kissing her. Quistis closed her eyes, just enjoying the sensation. As he pulled away, she frowned at his face, bringing one finger up to trace his scar.

"Squall gave you this, didn't he?"

He blinked as realization settled in. "You remember that?"

"I remember having to patch you up since Dr. Kadowaki was busy with Squall." She smiled. "Kiss me again."

Seifer complied, and Quistis held back a giggle. She didn't have her full memory back yet, but at this rate, it wouldn't take too long.


	21. Of Knights and Sorceresses

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is AU. Theme 21: Deja Vu.

* * *

**Of Knights and Sorceresses**

Thunder crashed outside, and Quistis snuggled deeper into her comforter. Despite the fierce storm outside, she was warm and cozy with a mug of tea and a new mystery to read. The only drawback was the fact that her bed was currently empty other than herself. Her husband had been due back from a mission tonight, but he had been delayed due to the storm. Hopefully, he'd be home first thing in the morning. It was something of an inconvenience no longer living at Balamb Garden, but having her own home was worth it.

There was a soft patter in the hallway, and Quistis' bedroom door creaked open.

"Mommy? Will you tell us a story?"

Two six year olds with blond hair a shade or two darker than her own peered into the room. Quistis set aside her book and patted the bed next her. That was all the invitation the twins needed to join her in the bed. Illyria climbed into her lap while Hunter curled up at her side.

"I thought you two were asleep."

Hunter pulled a face. "The storm is scary."

"Can we stay with you?"

Quistis smiled. "Of course. What sort of story do you want to hear?"

"An action story with lots of fighting!" Hunter practically bounced. Her youngest had a sunny personality and was always full of energy, even at nearly midnight.

"A fairytale with a happy ending." Illyria had taken more after herself, except for her sense of humor. Sharp and sarcastic that had mostly come from her father.

She bit back a laugh as they both gave her their father's patented pleading look. Both children had inherited his emerald eyes.

"All right then, once upon a time there was a young knight. In fact, there were two young knights. In many ways they were like brothers, but they didn't get along very well at times. Now, one of the knights accepted a quest to help a lady in distress. However, the other knight also knew this lady and wished to help her as well. He enlisted the help of a wise woman and went after the other knight.

Her audience was enraptured so far. Quistis continued.

"They arrived in the town where the lady and the other knight to find it under attack by an evil sorceress. This sorceress tried to cast a spell on the knight, but the wise woman stopped her. Then the sorceress attacked the wise woman."

Biting her lip, Quistis fought the sense of déjà vu that always came with this story. It had been years ago now, but she could still remember what happened as if it were yesterday. It had been one of the most terrifying times of her life.

"The knight defended the wise woman, and in the course of the battle, it was revealed that she was also a sorceress. The evil sorceress finally left, and the two knights, the wise woman, and the lady were left to figure out a plan to stop her."

"What happened next, Mama?" Illyria's question was followed by a yawn.

"Well, the evil sorceress cast a spell on the lady and tried to take control of her body. The other three worked together to save her, and the wise woman and the knight who had sought her aid discovered that they had fallen in love with each other."

Illyria let a happy little sigh. Hunter snored. Quistis continued the story for the remainder of her audience.

"The knight who loved the lady managed to save her, but then the four of them as well as their allies had to fight the evil sorceress once again. However, before the battle, both of the knights proposed marriage to their ladies."

And Illyria was out like a light. Quistis smiled and turned out the lights.

* * *

Seifer crept into the house just before dawn, not wanting to wake his wife and children. He had to bite back a chuckled when he found the scene in his bed. Once again the twins had wanted a late night story it seemed. With a smile, he covered the trio with a spare blanket before kissing his wife on the forehead.

"And they all lived happily ever after."


	22. The Langauge of Flowers

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 24: Meaning of a Flower.

* * *

**The Language of Flowers**

"Would you like to go out to dinner with me?"

Quistis counted to ten and back down to zero. She clenched and unclenched her fists, reminding herself that this was a nice, young man who had been mostly put up to this by one of her well meaning friends.

"No, thank you." She did her best to look apologetic as she turned him down.

She made a quick escape after that, retreating to the relative safety of her office. She loved her friends, and she knew they meant well. But honestly, she was so sick of getting set up on dates. Did they think she was completely incapable of finding a boyfriend on her own? Since the end of the Sorceress War, Quistis had been set up time and time and time again. She was sick of it. Having a love life was overrated. That was her story, and she was sticking to it. From this moment on, she was swearing off romance in any form except for fictional.

And Quistis made that very clear the next time someone asked her out. And the time after that. And after the third time, people stopped asking her out. That could be due to the fact that she lost her temper. Rinoa and Selphie did not understand unfortunately. They couldn't imagine why she wouldn't want to spend all her free time on dates that didn't work out. Of course, they both had steady boyfriends. It got to the point where people even hesitated to mention anything having to do with romance to her. Thankfully, Quistis had found a sympathetic ear in Edea.

Matron had simply smiled knowingly at her when all of her complaints and frustrations had spilled out and said.

"When you're ready for romance, it will find you. It's not something you can really force to happen."

So Quistis went on with her life, and several weeks later, she came into to her office from class to find a tall vase full of irises. She blinked trying to think of an occasion that would call for flowers. Nothing came to mind. It wasn't her birthday or an anniversary of anything important. On a whim, she pulled out a little book that had been tossed in her bottom desk drawer. Quistis didn't know why Selphie had bought her a book on the meanings of flowers for her last birthday, but there were worse presents to get. Leafing through the book, Quistis found the entry for irises. Iris apparently had a number of meanings including inspiration, valor, faith, wisdom, and 'your friendship means so much to me'. They were beautiful flowers, and they made her feel a great deal better about her day. She wrote them off as a random act of kindness and went about the rest of her day.

There were more flowers the next day. This time it was a squat vase full of violets, forget-me-knots, and bluebells. According to her little book these meant modesty and simplicity, faithful love and memories, and delicacy and humility. Once again there was no note or any other indication who they were from. These were followed by daisies then gardenias then hydrangeas then peach and cream roses and then pansies. Always beautifully arranged in vases on her desk without any indication of who they were from. And the flowers continued. Every day there was a new bouquet, and Quistis was beginning to go crazy with curiosity.

Three months of flowers passed, and she was no closer to having an answer. Quistis had done everything she could think of to find out who it was. She owed them a thank you. The flowers had become the bright spot in her days and one of her few constants. She very much appreciated them and really wanted to thank whoever was responsible.

Then she finally got a break. Running back to her office after a meeting that had gone long, Quistis had nearly run right into Seifer whose arms were wrapped around a tall vase of orchids. The vase in his hands wobbled, and Quistis stepped forward to steady it, meeting his eyes.

"Thank you, Seifer."

He shrugged nervously. "I don't know what you're talking about, Trepe."

She felt into step beside, noting that he was also heading towards her office. "You've been the one sending me flowers."

There was a tinge of red across his cheeks. "So."

"I really have appreciated them. They've meant a lot to me these past few months. I've been hoping to thank the person responsible for a while." She opened her officer door for him. "I would like to know why though."

Seifer set the flowers on her desk before turning to face her, running a nervous hand through his hair. "I wanted to do something nice for you. I mean you helped me finally pass the field exam, and you seemed so unhappy with the way things were going, and you were so against anything remotely resembling a date that I couldn't ask you out to dinner or something like that."

Quistis blinked then slid her hand into his and kissed his cheek. Pulling back, she smiled up at him. She knew what Matron had meant now.

"Seifer, would you like to have dinner with me tonight?"

He grinned at her. "I'd love to, Quisty."

Six months later, Quistis returned to her office after class to find a delicate bouquet of wildflowers sitting on her desk held together by white gold diamond ring bearing a motif of swirling leaves and flowers. The flowers went into a little vase she kept in her desk and the ring onto her finger. Romance had indeed found her after all.


	23. If I Just Breathe

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 16: You Don't Understand.

* * *

**If I Just Breathe**

Quistis slumped into a chair, grateful to be off her feet even if it was just for a moment. She had spent most of the day running around, and she'd forgotten lunch once again. The woman sighed. She just wanted tonight to be over with. Balamb Garden was hosting a gala event to celebrate the rebuilt Trabia and Galbadia Gardens. Quistis, thankfully, had no other duties except showing up and making nice with all of the dignitaries invited. However, Rinoa was handling all of the publicity and promotion for the event while Selphie had taken on all of the decoration and set-up logistics. And because they were so busy, Quistis had found herself running around to make sure that her friends would be ready for the evening.

It had meant that Quistis had been arranging shopping trips and dress fittings as well as making hair and other appointments. When she had offered to give them a hand, Quistis hadn't realized just how involved the job would be. The past two days had been absolutely insane. Between their actions in the Sorceress War and their current responsibilities, Selphie and Rinoa had become the faces of Garden. Quistis felt rather lost in the rush. Most of her work had been everyday things such as the teaching of classes and tutoring of individual students. She didn't exactly envy Rinoa and Selphie their spotlight, but sometimes she did feel rather forgotten. And it didn't help that her boyfriend was currently away on a mission.

She let a smile cross her lips. She and Seifer had been dating for nearly a year now. After the war, Quistis had found herself forming an odd little friendship with Seifer that than somewhere along the way turned into a romance. He could really be quite sweet when he wanted to, though that typically wasn't in front of other people. The others had not understood at first. Despite the ruling of a jury that both Edea and Seifer were innocent due to the fact that they were being mind controlled, Garden hadn't exactly welcomed Seifer back with open arms. It had taken time for Squall and the others to accept his presence, both at Garden and in her life. Still, their relationship had proved to be very good for Quistis, and in time the others had become less wary of Seifer.

With a sigh, she levered herself back to her feet. She needed to go pick up Rinoa and Selphie from the hair dresser. Then they just needed to get dressed and take care of their make-up and then they would be set for the evening. Quistis collected the dress bags she had been out picking up. She'd drop them by Rinoa's quarters before heading out to pick up the girls. Two hours later, Quistis found herself slumped in a chair once again. Rinoa and Selphie had just walked out the door, immaculately dressed and coifed, to meet their dates, and she once again had breathing space. She smiled. They would make quite an impression on any visiting dignitaries.

Quistis closed her eyes and let herself relax. She was done.

"Quistis?" Matron's voice came from the doorway. "How long do you think you'll be, dear? Rinoa said you weren't quite ready yet."

The blood drained from her face. Hyne, she'd forgotten that she had to attend this blasted event too. Quistis buried her face in her hands; she'd completely forgotten in all the chaos. She let out a groan. There was nothing suitable in her closet, she'd been wearing her uniform all day and it was rather sweaty now, and her hair was a mess. This was a disaster.

"Quistis?" A gentle hand rested on top of her head.

Quistis looked up at her foster mother. "I forgot, Matron. I'm a mess, and I don't have anything to wear."

Matron smiled gently. "Let's see what I can do about that. Go hop in the shower, Quisty. You'll be a little late, but that should be fine."

Being a SeeD taught you to shower quickly. However, Matron had clearly been hard at work. When she stepped out of the bathroom, Quistis found a dress hanging over in front of the closet as well as underthings and shoes laid out on the bed. The shoes and underthings were hers, but the pale violet dress was something she'd never seen before.

"It's one of mine from when I was younger," Matron looked up from the jewelry box she was rifling through, "but I think it should fit. Hurry up and get dressed, and then we'll do something about your hair."

The simple gown fit her perfectly. Matron did something with her hair that made it tumble down her back in loose curls. Gold and amethyst jewelry, a touch of purple eye shadow, and pale pink lipstick completed the outfit. The young woman in the mirror looked far more sophisticated and put together than she had just twenty minutes ago.

"I think you're just about set." Matron beamed at her.

Quistis had to fight back tears. "Thank you so much, Matron. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"It's the least I could do for one of my children." They had reached the door. Matron opened the door with a smile. "You can come in now, dear."

Seifer was standing just outside the door, dressed in his formal uniform. He took in Quistis and whistled.

"You clean up nice, Quisty."

She laughed. "When did you get back? I thought you weren't going to make it."

He smiled. "Just a few hours ago. You're missing something."

She frowned. "What?"

Seifer caught her hand in his, slipping a band with a diamond flanked by amethyst onto her finger. "Marry me, love?"

"Oh." Quistis couldn't help her bright smile. "Yes. Seifer, yes."

He leaned down to kiss her before tucking her hand in the crook of his arm. "Good. Now we're ready."


	24. Your Eyes

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 23: Wrong Color.

* * *

**Your Eyes**

Quistis smiled and tried not to think that something must be wrong with her. Aiden Stone was in many ways the perfect match for her. Of course, Quistis hadn't really been looking for a perfect match as she was currently in a relationship, and if she had known that Selphie had set her up on a date rather than a dinner meeting about Garden business, Quistis would have refused. Selphie didn't approve of Quistis' current relationship. In fact, only Matron and Rinoa had really supported it.

Still, even being in a relationship, Aiden should have attracted her. He was intelligent and accomplished, having just become an instructor at Trabia Garden. He had been completely courteous and respectful towards her the entire evening. He was attractive, tall and blond with grey eyes. Quistis bit back a frown. Aiden's eyes were bothering her, and she didn't know why. There really was very little not to like about the man. By all rights, she should be attracted to him. All Quistis could muster was general friendliness.

"Would you like to go some place for coffee and dessert? I know a great little place just down the street."

She bit her lip. "That's very sweet, but I need to head home. I have a class to teach tomorrow morning."

"Are you not having a good time?" He looked concerned.

Quistis smiled gently. "It was a very nice evening. I'm just not interested."

Aiden frowned. "But we're perfect for each other. We're smart, successful, intelligent people. We even look good together. Why can't you give me a chance?"

She bit back a sigh. He only saw Instructor Trepe, not Quistis. She had also seen figured out why his eyes had been bothering her all evening. They were the wrong color.

"I'm sorry Selphie led you to believe that I was available, and I'm sorry I didn't make it clear at the beginning of dinner. I didn't mean to lead you on." Quistis rose from her seat. "I apologize if I have hurt you."

Quistis left the restaurant and walked into the first bar she could. She needed a drink. Thankfully, this was one of the waterfront bars, and it was easy enough to head down to the beach once she'd finished her lemon drop. Quistis sat on piece of driftwood, her head in her hands. What in the world was she going to do? Tonight had proved that Selphie clearly was not okay with her current relationship. That posed a problem since Quistis was entirely sure that she was completely in love with her boyfriend.

The wind off the ocean made her shiver, and a thick coat was draped over her shoulders.

"I thought you might be brooding again." Seifer sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Bad meeting?"

She leaned into him. "It wasn't a meeting. Selphie set me up on a blind date."

"Ah."

"I don't know what to do about this. I can't seem to convince them that I'm serious about you, and I don't think I can take too much more of their schemes to set me up someone better." Quistis sighed.

Seifer twined his fingers with hers. "You could always marry me. Then you wouldn't be available."

She turned to meet his green eyes, the ones she'd been unconsciously expecting all evening. "Are you serious?"

"About marrying you?" He smiled. "Yes. I love you, Quisty."

"Okay."

Seifer leaned down and kissed her. As it turned out, he didn't have a ring, but they made do with a piece of string that he found in his pocket. With the string securely tied around her ring finger, they sat in comfortable silence watching the waves for awhile before Quistis decided that she should be heading back to Garden. She hadn't been lying about the class in the morning.

Her fiancée walked with her back to Garden, taking his leave at the gate. Quistis opened the door to her quarters to find Rinoa and Selphie waiting for her. Rinoa looked apprehensive while Selphie just seemed excited.

"How was your date?"

Quistis smiled. "Awful really. I left after dinner. I did get engaged afterwards though."


	25. My Girl

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 8: Humiliation.

* * *

**My Girl**

Seifer had heard the gossip and the rumors before he saw Quistis. Up until the point that he saw her face, he had been willing to simply discount the grapevine. But one look at her pale, drawn face, and Seifer knew that the incident had really happened. Quistis didn't even see him. She was walking briskly through the halls, not seeing anything and trying not to cry. Quistis passed him by without a word, too wrapped up in her own feelings. Seifer decided that he would need to beat her to the punch. For the looks of things she was heading for her quarters, and if he took a short cut, he could get there before she did.

It was a good thing he did. In her state, Quistis didn't even notice him until she had walked right into him. Quistis took one look at his face and burst into tears. Seifer wrapped her in his arms and ushered her into her quarters. There was no need to make a public spectacle of this. It wasn't often that Quistis lost her composure like this. He held as she sobbed into his chest and did his best to make out what she was saying. The story was rather garbled, but he got the gist of it. A rather nasty prank had been played on her leading to her complete humiliation in front of the visiting delegations from Trabia and Galbadia Gardens. Quistis didn't go into the details of the prank, but that was all right. He knew it had hurt her, and he had other sources of information to find out just who he was going to have to deal with.

Once Quistis had cried herself out, she slipped into sleep. Seifer tucked her into bed, immensely grateful that she had exhausted herself. He wasn't good at the comforting thing. He'd get Selphie and Rinoa to do that, and he would go take care of whoever had hurt her. Quistis had once had a crush on Squall. That was common knowledge. It was also common knowledge that she had moved on, and there was no need to throw her past romantic failures in her face. Especially not just as a meeting with the other two Gardens was letting out. He tamped down his fury. He would need calm for what he had planned.

After rousting Selphie and Rinoa to go check on Quistis, Seifer headed off to find his posse. He might need some help for this.

* * *

Quistis huddled in the middle of her bed, feeling utterly miserable. She was cried out, but it hadn't made her feel any better. She wasn't going to leave her room any time soon if ever. This had completely blindsided her. Squall had been embarrassed and uncomfortable, but he hadn't been the target. She had been utterly humiliated. She had worked so hard to earn back her instructor's license and to redeem her reputation with the Garden officials and now this. Now they were going to simply see her as the girl Squall rejected and nothing more. And then to run into Seifer. Quistis shook her head. She really hadn't meant to fall apart on him that way. He really had been sweet; dealing with crying women was not his strength.

She burrowed deeper under her covers. Maybe she could just stay here for a few years until everyone forgot about today's incident. Someone pounded on her door. Quistis just sighed and ignored them.

"Quisty, let us in!" Rinoa's voice was muffled by the door.

Quistis didn't answer.

"Fine then."

There was the snick of the lock and the door opened. Quistis sighed. She'd forgotten Rinoa had a master key. The covers were pulled from over her face, and Rinoa peered down at her with concerned eyes.

"Oh, Quistis. Come on, out of bed."

"I'm not getting up."

"Yes, you are. If you're not out of that bed in two minutes, I'll get Selphie."

It was a good threat, but she wasn't going anywhere.

"Up!" Rinoa looked stern. "We are going into Balamb. We are going to the spa, and then we are going shopping. Matron gave me her credit card. It will make you feel better, and it'll give Seifer some time to deal with a few things. Now, come on."

The mention of Seifer had Quistis sitting up and frowning. "What is Seifer up to?"

"You think that you get humiliated in front of the most important people in Garden, and he's just going to let them get away with it? We both know that Seifer wouldn't stand for that."

"Oh Hyne."

Rinoa smiled. "Squall won't let him get too out of hand. Now come on."

* * *

Seifer stood in the shadows, fidgeting nervously. He hoped this would go well. Fuujin had advised him that this might be more effective than simply beating those responsible into a pulp. He wasn't so sure, but there was no way he was going to let them get away with hurting his girl. Quistis might act like an ice queen most of the time, but things like this wounded her far more than she let most people see. His fingers curled around the ring. It would at least get people talking about something else for awhile.

He caught sight of Quistis coming down the hall to join the rest of the Garden members for yet another meeting. He didn't recognize her outfit, but it was probably the result of Rinoa's insistence on retail therapy. She looked amazing beautiful and poised in the soft peach colored crocheted top and matching duster. Taupe legging and a pair of high healed suede boots completed the outfit along with a gold belt. Her hair had been neatly braided and tucked up in a neat bun. This accented the delicate earrings dangling along her neck. Quistis also wore the necklace he had given her six months into their relationship, the fire cross pendant on a braided gold chain. She looked calm and collected, but Seifer knew her well enough to recognize several her nervous habits in evidence.

Stepping out of the shadows, Seifer caught her attention. Quistis gave him a self conscious smile and a little wave, still heading for the meeting room. Seifer strode towards her intercepting her before she could reach the door. Regardless of their audience, he simply walked up to her, enveloped her in his arms, and kissed her. Files spilled out of her hands and onto the floor, and her arms went around his neck. Pulling away, he met her eyes.

"Marry me?"

She looked up at him, wide eyed and breathless. "Yes."

Seifer slid the delicate ring onto her finger before lifting her left hand to his lips, gently brushing the gleaming band with his lips. Now they all had something else to talk about, and he had an excuse to beat up anyone who hurt her again. Not that he really needed one in the first place, but it would keep Squall off his case. Besides, given the smile on his lady's face, he didn't think she was hurting any more.


	26. Whims of Fate

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set before the game and is AU. Theme 27: Spontaneous.

* * *

**Whims of Fate**

Quistis nervously smoothed her uniform before stepping into the classroom. This wasn't the first class she had taught, but the first day of the term always brought out her nerves. She didn't like teaching the older students very much, but the administration insisted that she would be wasted teaching the younger classes.

"Good morning. I'm Instructor Trepe." With a cool smile, she started the class.

As she went over the first day basics, Quistis took the chance to observe her new set of students. According to the files she had been given, two of them had the most potential in their year. Both Seifer Almasy and Squall Leonhart showed incredible aptitude. She would have to be careful and do her best to nurture those skills. Truthfully, Quistis knew more about Seifer than she did about Squall. Seifer had apparently taken on the responsibilities of disciplinary committee with a pair of his friends. Squall she knew less about, mostly just the fact that he was the highest ranked gunblader in his class.

Passing out the class syllabus, her finger's brushed against Seifer's. Startled, Quistis looked down and met a pair of very green eyes. There had been something there, a spark of some sort. She finished the class feeling slightly dazed. This term had the potential to be very interesting.

* * *

After the first week of classes, Quistis was revising her opinion about the term. It was not going to interesting. It was going to be headache inducing. Seifer and Squall both had their issues. Squall was anti-social and uncommunicative while Seifer was cocky and sarcastic. Neither was a joy to teach. Still, they both had potential, and it was her duty to cultivate that. At least their papers were readable. Rubbing her temples, Quistis turned back to the papers in front of her. She loathed grading with a vengeance.

"Instructor Trepe?"

She looked up from her desk. "What can I do for you, Mr. Almasy?"

He frowned at her. "You're only two months older than me. We're basically the same age. You can call me Seifer."

"That wouldn't be appropriate, Mr. Almasy. Is there something I can do for you?"

His frown remained. "I had a couple of questions about the fire spells you were talking about yesterday. You didn't go into much detail with them."

Quistis smiled. This was something that she could do. "Have a seat. Now what are your questions?"

* * *

Seifer Almasy was much more personable in a one to one interaction than in a classroom setting. Quistis had begun to enjoy his semi-frequent visits to her office to discuss class material. More often than not he was still a hassle in class, arrogant and disrespectful, but when it was just the two of them, she could almost call him a friend. He was definitely the most interesting conversational partner she'd had in a while. Now if she could only get him to behave in class as well.

Still, she'd rather be talking to him right now than one of the senior instructors. Instructor Brett had stopped by her office to see how she was doing this term and to remind her not to forget she was the students' instructor, not their friend. She'd been hearing that particular speech since she first mad instructor. It was times like this that she really hated being a young genius. When she was a student her intelligence had separated her from her peers, and now it was her position. The man finally finished talking and left, leaving Quistis alone with her grading.

"So that's why you're such a stickler for the rules. Man, don't you get to have any friends your own age?" Seifer was lounging in her doorway. "No wonder you always seem so serious."

"I have to prove myself to everyone older than me all the time." Her voice was soft; she hated admitting this. "And I can't really spend time with the students because I'm not one of them. Even the SeeDs my age don't really see me as one of them."

A hand tilted her chin up, and Seifer met her eyes. "They're the ones missing out then."

* * *

That had marked something of change in their relationship. Quistis wasn't quite sure what they were to one another. Seifer seemed to make it a point to drop by her office and flirt with her, but in class he was a pain more often than not. If he caught her sitting alone in the cafeteria, he would come and sit with her. And she couldn't help but notice that the Trepies seemed much more subdued than normal.

It might have something to do with a conversation they had about halfway through the term. The two of them had been walking through the halls when a knot of Trepies had come the opposite way. She cringed, fighting the urge to duck behind him.

"They bother you much?" Seifer's voice was low and calm.

Quistis shrugged.

"I don't like being idolized. I'm just another SeeD. It makes me uncomfortable to be put on a pedestal." She pressed up close beside him, hoping that she wouldn't be visible from where they stood. "And I can't get them to leave me alone. I've done everything I can think of to discourage them, and they're still at it."

It hadn't been long after that the Trepies had ceased to plague her during her free time, and Quistis couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief at that. She was pretty sure that she had Seifer to thank for the respite.

* * *

She approached the last class of the term feeling a little sad. She would have most of the same students the next term, but this term had been special. Seifer winked at her when she handed him his exam. She retreated back to her desk, and the waiting began. Both Seifer and Squall were some of the first students to complete the test. Seifer had handed his in with a smile and another wink, and she couldn't help the warmth that rose up in her chest. This spontaneous little relationship of theirs was really something special.

Several hours later Quistis sighed, slumping back into her chair. The desk in front of her was piled with papers for grading. She was going to be here all night. Reaching for the paper on the top of the pile, she set to work. Seifer's paper was about halfway through her pile. It was a good one, both well written and correct in its answers, and Quistis quickly made her way through it. She reached the last page with a smile. It was clearly A material. Then she frowned when she realized that there was something written after the last question. Seifer's familiar scrawl read: _Quistis Trepe, will you marry me?_

Quistis didn't know how long she sat staring at the page. Her first reaction had been giddy glee. That had quickly been followed by minor panic. And then shock. And she was still staring at it when Seifer appeared in her officer door. A concerned expression appearing once he saw her face.

"Instructor? Quistis?" He knelt befor her. "Are you okay?"

"You want to marry me?"

"Yes."

"Why? People will say you just did it to get better grades. And really I'm not that great of a choice. Everyone says I'm cold and--"

Seifer's fingers on her lips cut her off. He rose to his feet and kissed her forehead. "Stop worrying about what everyone else expects of you. This is about what you want for yourself."

She took a moment to think before looking up at him. This was something she wanted. "Yes. I'll marry you."

Seifer grinned, lifting her out of her chair. "Great. We have two weeks of vacation. That should be enough time for a proper honeymoon."

Quistis found herself laughing as he tugged her out of the room, her ungraded tests forgotten. This was going to be interesting.


	27. Every Story

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is AU. Theme 10: Outside the Norm.

* * *

**Every Story**

With a sigh Quistis set down her bags. She wandered over to the window and took in the breathtaking view of the sea. This little bed and breakfast was to be her home for the next month or so. The woman flopped onto her bed. At twenty-five, Quistis Trepe was a highly successful author. Her first book had been published at eighteen and was an instant bestseller. Now, seven years later, she had had published twenty-five books spanning several genres and seven series. Mostly she wrote trilogies, but a couple of her series handed ended up being longer.

The problem was Quistis currently had writers block and was under pressure to produce a new series. Her most famous books, an urban fantasy quintet about a sorceress and a knight, where being turned into movies, and her last book was due to come out in paperback soon which meant a book tour. It also didn't help that her personal life was not exactly stunning. Quistis could write wonderfully about romance but couldn't find it for herself. Oh, she had a great circle of friends, many of which had helped inspire some of her books, but really except for the infrequent get together or girls' night, all she did was work.

And all of the stress had gotten to her. Quistis had passed out in a local coffee shop and then been rushed to the hospital. She had been released quickly, but only after her doctor prescribed a month's worth of vacation, including no writing unless she just felt like it. Dr. Kadowaki had even threatened to hire a nurse to come live with her if she didn't leave town just to make sure Quistis was actually resting. Instead Quistis had booked a room at a seaside bed and breakfast for a month. It was the off season, so she didn't have much of a problem getting a room.

Now Quistis just needed to figure out what to do with herself. She hadn't really been on a vacation since, oh Hyne, since her second year of university. And even then she had spent her vacation visiting libraries looking for material for her Honors' Thesis. With a sigh, she turned away from the window. Quistis would admit she was something of a workaholic. Her free time was most often spent catching up on her house cleaning or dealing with things she forgot while writing, like grocery shopping. With absolutely no obligations, responsibilities, or tasks to complete, Quistis was at a loss.

She ended up wandering around the waterfront. It felt so odd to her to be out on her own with nothing to do. Quistis sighed, maybe she did need to get out more. After getting a glass of ice tea at a little bistro and making a lunch of a raspberry Danish, Quistis meandered down to the marina. All of the various boats were interesting to look at, and she began considering writing a maritime novel. It would be something new for her, and the research could be interesting.

"Hey, Quisty, what on earth you doing here?"

Whirling around at the familiar voice and her old nickname from her orphanage days, Quistis found herself looking into a pair of green eyes. She blinked, but Seifer Almasy was still leaning over the rail of a sailboat smirking at her.

"Seifer?"

He laughed. "Who else? I thought you were off being the famous author."

Seifer and herself had been the oldest of the crew at the orphanage. They hadn't exactly been friends, but they had been close. They had lost touch after Quistis had entered university though.

She shrugged. "I was, and then my doctor prescribed a month of vacation. She claimed I was too stressed."

"Of course, Quisty never knew how to have any fun," he teased.

Her hands automatically went to her hips. "And Seify always knew how to have too much fun."

Seifer just laughed. "So, basically you're stuck here for a month with nothing to do. Does Quisty need someone to show how to have a good time?"

"Are you offering?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

And so her vacation took an interesting turn. Seifer definitely knew how to have a good time. He dragged her in beach picnics and gave her tours of the town. He took her out dancing and taught her how to sail his boat. Quistis found herself relaxing and enjoying herself, and oddly enough, the more she found herself spending time out with Seifer, the more she found ideas for her writing. Nothing had really solidified into a novel yet, but she was well on her way to having something.

So when two weeks into her enforced vacation Seifer dragged Quistis out to the beach one evening, she went willingly. They wandered along the shoreline enjoying the moonlight and the solitude.

"Reminds you of the orphanage, doesn't it? That's why I moved here in the first place. I missed being by the sea all the time."

She could understand that. The orphanage they had been raised at had been an old lighthouse keeper's home. They both had grown up with the sound of waves as a constant lullaby. Something wicked sparkled in Seifer's eyes.

"Fancy a night swim?"

Quistis shook her head. "Not a chance, Seifer."

"Come one." He smirked at her. "I won't tell anyone you don't have a suit."

"No way."

The next thing she knew Seifer had scooped her up in his arms and was dashing into the surf. Wading in up to his knees, he let go, dropping her into the water. Quistis spluttered and rose to her feet to tackle him. Things got wetter from there, and it was nearly twenty minutes later that they left the water. Quistis collapsed back onto the sand with a sigh. Seifer leaned over her with a grin.

"I told you the water was warm."

"You dumped me in the ocean."

"You know you enjoyed it." He leaned in closer, brushing his lips against her own.

Quistis sighed and smiled up at him. "True."

She was having the best time she had in a long time. Quistis hadn't really realized how much she had been missing. Most of her friends were now married, and they didn't see each other as much any more, and they had always been the ones to drag her out with them. Seifer had filled that role so far during her vacation, and she couldn't really complain. His presence almost felt normal anymore.

That was probably why she didn't shriek and throw things at him when he snuck up behind her in her room, covering her eyes.

"Seifer."

The hands over her eyes were moved, and, Seifer peered over her shoulder. "What are you working on?"

She sighed, leaning back into him. "I'm trying to block out a new series, but either I have two separate narratives or I'm missing something major in the plot."

He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Then come sailing with me. I'm just going out to the islands and back. It'll only be a few days, and you only have about a week left."

Tilting her head back to meet his eyes, Quistis smiled up at him. "Okay."

It was with great reluctance that she left the bed and breakfast. The month there had been much more than Quistis had expected. She felt relaxed and happy, and she had the beginnings of a new book. Things were looking much better. Her only regret was going home would mean not seeing Seifer everyday. She would have to make an effort to get out her more often.

Three months later, Quistis' study was full of warm sunlight, and she was on a roll. Three or four more chapters and her newest book would be complete.

"Quisty," Seifer leaned through her window, "come out and play."

She laughed, pushing back from her computer. The diamond ring glinted on her finger. His proposal had come barely a month after her vacation. "Just let me finish this chapter."


	28. She Will Be Loved

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is AU. Theme 7: Fool's Gold.

* * *

**She Will Be Loved**

Seifer fidgeted on the pier where the _Fool's Gold_ was docked, uncomfortable in his full court regalia. They were welcoming a diplomatic delegation from Balamb, and the young knight was hoping that he knew someone among them. Last year he had been a part of the Galbadian delegation to Balamb, and he remembered very well the Countess of Centra. Quistis Trepe had been assigned to be his companion for the duration of his stay there, and he had grown very fond of the lady. He also hadn't like her treatment by the court. However, things were delicate enough between the two nations that Seifer hadn't been able to offer her a haven at the court in Galbadia at the time.

If she had come with this delegation though, he probably could get her asylum by appealing to Queen Regent Edea. That was if he could convince her. Quistis could be very stubborn when she wanted to. A trumpet announced the disembarking of the diplomatic delegation, and Seifer snapped to attention. As the delegation filed down the gangplank, a blond woman dressed all in grey gave him a sad smile. Seifer fought to urge to frown.

He didn't have a chance to get Quistis alone until after they had reached the palace. The delegation wouldn't be formally presented in court until the next morning, and having grown up in the palace, it was easy enough for Seifer to sneak into her room. He found Quistis curled up in the window seat.

"One would almost think that you weren't happy to be here, Countess."

Her head shot up. "Seifer! What in the world are you doing here? You'll get us both in trouble."

Seifer just smirked. "I'm better at sneaking than that. No one will know I was here."

She sighed but let him draw her into a hug. Quistis sank into the embrace, resting her head against his chest with a sigh.

"It's good to see you again, Seifer. Even if you are going to get me into trouble."

"Don't worry so much." He turned serious. "You don't have to go back with them, Quistis. Edea will grant you asylum. If you want, we can arrange that tonight."

Quistis pulled away. "I can't, Seifer. I'm sorry. I would love to stay here, but you see, I'm one of the treaty offerings. I don't have a choice."

She bit her lip, looking like she wanted to cry. Seifer didn't blame her. Quistis truly didn't have a choice. An orphan with no living relatives, she was a ward of the crown. She was a minor noble, of no great importance. And until she reached her majority next year, she literally had no choice in her life. That had been made clear to him during his visit to Balamb. Quistis had been assigned as his companion, and when he had found her in his bed his first night there, she had explained just exactly what that meant. Seifer had been furious about the fact that he had been expected to take advantage of her, but they had worked out a solution between the two of them that would keep Quistis out of trouble and satisfy Seifer's sense of honor. Fear of punishment and her own sense of obligation to the people who had provided for her since childhood kept her chained.

He bit back a curse. Poor Quisty. She deserved so much better.

"I'm sorry, Seifer."

"It's your fault." He kissed her forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He left her deciding to see if Sir Leonhart was up for some sparring. If Seifer was going to behave tomorrow, he needed to work some of his anger off. What they were doing to Quistis infuriated him. She deserved so much better.

The next morning Seifer took his place on the dais, himself and Sir Leonhart flanking Queen Regent Edea and Princess Rinoa. The Balamb delegation was presented, and then the speeches began. Seifer didn't really pay attention to the words. Oh, he was hearing them, and thanks to an eidetic memory, he'd remember what was said. But it wasn't until they started talking about the treaty conditions that he started paying attention.

"…and as a first step in create piece, we offer an alliance. The hand of the Countess of Centra in marriage for Sir Squall Leonhart of Esther."

It took every ounce of control Seifer had not to curse. They had just condemned Quistis to be the most hated woman at court. Given the state of relations with Balamb, they would have to consider the offer. The problem was everyone in Galbadia knew that Sir Leonhart was practically betrothed to Princess Rinoa. To offer someone else's hand in marriage to him was an insult to the princess, and she was well beloved by her people. Even though Quistis personally did not want this, she was going to suffer for it. She would find no friends here now. Quistis met his eyes, and Seifer could see her guilt and unhappiness. He bit back a sigh. Someone was going to need to protect her.

The next two weeks were not pleasant. Seifer did his best too keep Quistis from the worst of it, but she was not often in his company. He worried about her. Quistis had become a virtual ghost when not attending court functions. He wasn't sure where she was disappearing to, but he hoped it brought her some peace. No one in Galbadia's court was happy about Quistis' presence, but Rinoa's ladies in waiting were simply vicious. Rinoa herself was coolly polite to Quistis, but she didn't like her, and she didn't like the fact that Seifer was defending her.

The princess cornered him on a stairway one afternoon.

"I hear you've been defending the Countess of Centra's honor lately."

Seifer sighed. "What do you want, Rinoa?"

"Why are you defending some one who wants to take Squall away from me?"

Rinoa was practically his sister, but he was in love with Quistis. And she didn't know anything about the situation, so he tried to keep his temper.

"She doesn't want Squall, Rinoa. She doesn't have a choice in this. Quistis has never been given a choice about her future, and she deserves better than to be shunned and disparaged for other people's decisions."

Rinoa looked taken aback at his vehemence. "You're serious. You really don't think she wants Squall?"

"Not everybody thinks he hangs the moon, Princess."

Their conversation didn't help things much, but Seifer noticed that Rinoa and her closest friends had started looking at Quistis in a different light. They weren't exactly friendly with her, but they weren't hurtful either. Unfortunately, their consideration didn't affect the rest of the court. When Seifer sought out his countess a week later, that was clear.

He found her down by the cliffs below the palace, hip deep in the surf. It was a grey, blustery day, and the ocean was rougher than Seifer liked. He waded in after her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Quisty?" Seifer demanded grabbing her shoulders.

She turned to face her, tears in her blue eyes.

"Seifer, I..." She buried her head in his shoulder. "Please just let me go. It's best for everyone."

"Are you insane? I'm not going to let you do this to yourself."

"I won't let them use me any more, but when I do that, I don't won't have much of a life when they're through with me. This will be easier."

The little idiot. He kissed her. Quistis tried to escape, but Seifer had her trapped in his arms, and the only thing she could do was give in to what she wanted for a change. Using her distraction, he dragged her out of the water and wrapped his cloak around her shoulders. This was going to end now. With her hand firmly clasped in his own, he started back to the palace.

He led them through the servants' entrance. They didn't need to attract more attention than they had to. Seifer wasn't going to let anyone stop this.

"Did you bring that green dress you wore to the high feast when I visited Balamb?"

Quistis nodded mutely.

"Good. Go dry off and change into it. I'm coming to get you in twenty minutes."

"Why?"

She looked adorable with the utterly confused look on her face. Seifer couldn't help himself and stole another kiss.

"Because I love you, and I won't let them hurt you any more. I'd be a pretty poor knight if I did." He squeezed her hand.

She blinked at him. "Seifer, I, you know I…"

He knew what she was trying to say. "I know you love me, Quisty. Go change."

Once she was out of sight, Seifer headed up to his room to change into his formal uniform. They were going to do this properly. He caught sight of the princess in the halls and grabbed her sleeve.

"Rinoa, get Squall and Matron and meet me in the chapel."

"What? Why, Seifer?" She frowned at him. "Court starts in an hour, and I need to prepare."

"Now, Princess. This is going to come up at court."

Amazingly, she listened to him with out arguing. Seifer managed to change quickly before going to retrieve Quistis. He smirked when he saw her. There was a reason that he had asked about the green dress. Not only did she look beautiful in it, but it matched his colors as a knight. He reached for her hand, twining their fingers together. Quistis smiled hesitantly at him.

"Come on. We've got some place to be."

Thankfully, Edea, Rinoa, and Squall were all waiting for them in the chapel. As witnesses went, they would be the best choice. Both Squall and Rinoa looked a little annoyed, but Seifer didn't care. They'd both appreciate the results. The Queen Regent simply raised an eyebrow at him.

"What are you up to Seifer?"

"Quistis and I are getting married. We need credible witnesses." Seifer tugged Quistis closer. "Matron, this is Countess Quistis Serian Trepe of Centra. Quisty, this is my foster mother. I know you've met before, but you needed a proper introduction."

Edea frowned. "Serian? You're Idalia's daughter?"

Quistis looked startled. "Yes. You knew my mother?"

"Yes." Edea smiled. "Don't worry. They won't have a leg to stand on when I'm done with them. Now, let's get you two married."

The ceremony was blessedly brief without all of the regular pomp that came with a formal wedding. Before he knew it, Seifer was married to the only lady he'd ever been in love with. Now they just had to deal with court. Seifer tucked his wife hand into the crook of his arm. Matron wasn't going to let anyone separate them, especially when his suspicions about Quistis' background had panned out. Matron had been told her best friend's child had died with her mother. If she had lived, she was supposed to be put under Edea's care. The delegation from Balamb would have trouble objecting to the marriage because of that since technically, Edea was Quistis' guardian even if none of them had known it.

With a smirk, Seifer kissed his wife again as they took up their places for the beginning of court. Quistis smiled back and squeezed his hand. It was a good beginning.


	29. Broken Wings

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 18: Affair. This is darker than most of my previous works and contains mentions of child abuse and rape. Please do not read if that offends you.

* * *

**Broken Wings**

Quistis rubbed her temples fighting the urge to simply close her eyes and go to sleep. There were only another twenty papers to grade. She was just a little more worn out than usual, but she could do this. With a sigh she reached for the next paper. While she had never been reinstated as an instructor after the Sorceress War, Quistis had been assigned as a general substitute and teaching aid. What it amounted to was whenever an instructor didn't want to deal with something, it fell to her. She was constantly having her hands full with teaching and extra tutoring and grading. The only reason Quistis continued put up with it was the promise of her Instructor's License being reinstated. She just had to prove herself to the adminstration.

It was exhausting work, and recent events weren't helping much. Two weeks ago, Squall had approached her with a project, and she had agreed to help him with it. That was a mistake on her part, but she couldn't back out now. Squall was apparently ready to propose to Rinoa, and he wanted to do it properly. And that involved enlisting Quistis' help to keep the whole thing a secret. However, Garden was known for its grapevine, and their meetings had been noticed.

Squall was oblivious to it all as usual, but Quistis had quickly picked up on the whispers and rumors. Things had been dismissed at first, but now, most of Garden seemed convinced that she was having an affair with Squall. When the rumors had started getting serious, Quistis had gone to Squall about putting a stop to them. He had insisted that she was worrying over nothing and that no one listened to gossip. He was wrong.

She knew that by the way people were stealing glances at her and avoided her. She knew that by the way even her friends had doubt in their eyes and how they didn't seem to have time for her anymore. Yes, Quistis had once had a crush on Squall, and yes, his rejection had hurt deeply at the time. But things changed, and Quistis knew she didn't want Squall anymore. She wanted what he and Rinoa shared: a mutual relationship. She wanted to love someone and have them love her in return.

However, given the state of her social life, that was not about to happen anytime soon, and truthfully, right now Quistis would settle for Garden to stop thinking that she was carrying on an affair with Squall. It wasn't true and it was making her life more difficult. She would be glad when Squall finally proposed and the whole ordeal would be over with. The proposal was only five days away now. She had already make reservations at the restaurant, picked up the ring from the jeweler, ordered flowers, arranged a hotel room just in case, and edited Squall's proposal for content and grammar. She had also been sworn to absolute secrecy on the matter. No one was to know that a proposal was in the works.

So Quistis did her best to ignore the whispers and go about her daily activities. That worked until Squall pulled her aside for a lunch meeting that lasted nearly three hours. If she didn't know better, she'd swear the man was having second thoughts. It wouldn't have been that much of a problem except Quistis was now running late for her class, and she ran right into Rinoa on her way there.

Rinoa took one look at her flustered appearance and nearly growled. Quistis involuntarily took a step back.

"Rinoa--"

"Don't." The younger snapped. "Don't act like you're my friend. I know, Quistis. I guess you finally got what you wanted, didn't you?"

It was easy enough for Quistis to guess which assumption Rinoa had jumped to. "I would never do that to you, Rinoa. You should know that."

"Then why do you keep disappearing with Squall? Explain that, Quistis?"

"I can't, Rinoa. But I promise I'm not betraying you." Quistis bit her lip.

Rinoa sneered. "Right. Are you happy, little whore?"

Quistis froze. Rinoa's word choice had to be accidental. She couldn't know about the incident that had brought Quistis to Garden after she had been adopted. She couldn't know that those were the same words her adopted father had used when he raped her. Rinoa couldn't have known those words would bring back things Quistis had worked so hard to forget.

"I wish you could believe me," she managed to stutter out before hurrying down the hallway.

By the time Quistis got out of class, the rumors were every where. She couldn't escape them or people's accusing stares. After nearly a half hour of it and unwanted memories running through her head, something in her just let go. Quistis found herself walking into the training area without a single weapon. She was too tired anymore, and she just needed it all to end.

* * *

Seifer strolled towards the training area with a sigh. Visiting Garden always made him tense, and Matron had suggested he blow off some steam before heading home. He had spent the last year rebuilding the orphanage in Centra. There was a little fishing community near by, and it had been a good place to make a new start. Garden hadn't been about to welcome him back with open arms after the Sorceress War, and to tell truth, Seifer hadn't been sure he wanted to come back. These days his visits here were strictly to see Matron.

He tramped through the underbrush looking for a challenge. Hearing a T-Rexaur ahead, Seifer hurried forward. What he found was the monster standing over a mauled body. Seifer didn't even think. He grabbed the girl and ran. When they were safely out of range, he turned to the young woman in his arms. He nearly dropped her when he realized it was Quistis.

Swearing at her injuries, Seifer cast cure. That would keep her alive until he could get her to the infirmary. Quistis blinked up at him, clearly disoriented.

"Seifer. Hey. You're here. That's kind of nice." She smiled. "I was scared when it was just me, but it's not so bad now. Would you stay until I go?"

He stared in disbelief. She had deliberately walked into this? Pulling her close, he headed for the infirmary.

"You're not going anywhere, Quisty."

Quistis faded in and out of consciousness during the trip. Thankfully, it didn't take him long to get her to the infirmary. Dr. Kadowaki took charge immediately, and Seifer found himself relegated to the waiting area. It wasn't too long before Matron joined him.

"What happened, Seifer? Do you know?"

He sighed. "I think she tried to kill herself, Matron."

Edea frowned. "I hadn't thought things were that bad. I know she's been working too hard, but I was hoping that she was ignoring the rumors."

"Rumors?"

"Oh, the usual Garden gossip. The latest big topic is that Quistis has been having an affair with Squall which is utterly ridiculous. No one with sense would believe that."

Seifer frowned. Matron didn't know the way gossip worked around here. Something like this could easily make a person miserable even if their friends didn't believe, and if their friends did give any credence to the rumors, it could get out of hand very quickly. And Quistis had always been more sensitive than she let on.

It was another hour before they heard anything. Dr. Kadowaki let out a sigh as she approached them.

"Quistis is stable, and she should be conscious in about an hour. Physically, she'll make a full recovery, but it's going to take time. Not only due to the injuries themselves, but she is in poor condition healthwise. I would attribute most of it to exhaustion and stress, and I doubt she has been eating enough." The doctor ran a hand through her hair. "It'll be at least a month before I clear her for desk duty. I'd like her to get some rest and relaxation, but I don't want her to be left on her own with her injuries, so we'll have to figure something out. Would one of you like to sit with her until she wakes up?"

"Why don't you sit with her, Seifer?" Edea rose to her feet. "I'm going to see what I can find out about what may have caused this."

That was how he found himself beside Quistis' hospital bed, her pale hand tucked in his own. Poor Quisty. The two of them had made their peace shortly after the Sorceress War. Quistis had done a great deal of research in order to help with his and Matron's trials, and it had gotten to be difficult if they spent all their time together fighting. He personally thought Garden asked too much of her, but Seifer doubted that much of anything would convince her to quit. Or at least, he had until now.

Her eyelids fluttered, and he leaned a little closer. Sleepy blue eyes peered up at him.

"Seifer? I though that was just a hallucination."

He smiled. "Nope. Just me. How are you feeling?"

"Kinda fuzzy. I'm drugged, aren't I?"

"Yep." He reached over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "Why'd you do it, Quisty?"

She bit her lip. "Rinoa thinks I'm sleeping with Squall. She called me a whore. My adoptive father used to call me that."

Seifer doubted she would be this forthcoming if she wasn't drugged.

"I'm just tired. I'm not good enough for anything. I'm sick of being not good enough."

He knew that feeling. Seifer raised the hand that was clasped in his to his lips and kissed its back.

"You're a little idiot sometimes. You are perfectly fine the way you are. Garden just doesn't know how lucky it is to have you."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a nurse. Seifer found himself kicked out of the room while the nurse checked on Quistis and Dr. Kadowaki has a talk with her. Seifer found Matron in the waiting room. The older woman sighed.

"Well, Rinoa admits to having a fight with Quistis, but I doubt that that alone triggered this. I didn't tell her how badly Quistis was injured."

"She called Quistis a whore, Matron. And Quistis said her adopted father used to call her that. I think that was the final straw."

He was utterly surprised when Matron swore viciously.

"Matron?"

She met his eyes. "This goes no farther than the two of us. Only Cid, Dr. Kadowaki, and myself know. Quistis was sent to Balamb Garden because she reported being raped by her adoptive father to a librarian. She was so traumatized that she barely spoke to anyone. She through herself into her school work instead. The GF's dulled the memories for the most part. When her memories of the past came back, she didn't get to chose which ones came back and which ones didn't. Quistis has been dealing with them as best as she could, but she didn't need a reminder."

"Damn." That explained a lot about Quistis.

Dr. Kadowaki joined them. "Quistis will be ready to be released in a day or so. I just need to figure out what do about that month of leave. Truthfully, I'd like to get her away from Balamb. The environment here is not conducive for recovery."

"She can come with me," Seifer found himself offering. "If she wants to, that is."

Both women seemed startled by his offer, but Matron smiled.

"That might be just what she needs, Seifer."

Quistis took a little convincing that she wouldn't be underfoot and that he truly didn't mind her coming along. The truth of the matter was Seifer had been a little lonely himself lately. Fuujin and Raijin were great friends, but ever since they had paired off, he had been something of a third wheel. Once Quistis was convinced, it was a simple matter to pack up her things. Two days later, the two of them set sail for Centra and the orphanage.

* * *

Ten months later, Edea found herself having lunch with Rinoa. Quistis had submitted her resignation shortly after her month of leave had expired. Since then, the young woman had not been back to Balamb or had contact with anyone there save Cid, Edea, and Dr. Kadowaki. She was still healing, but Quistis was finding a life that was right for her.

Rinoa looked down at the ring on her finger.

"Have you heard from Quistis at all?" She asked softly.

Edea smiled and handed her a photo. "Just last week. Here."

The picture showed Quistis dressed in shorts and a navy t-shirt, leaning over the bow of a sailboat. Her hair was pulled back in a long braid, and she was turning back to laugh at the camera. She looked happier than Rinoa had ever seen, and a sapphire ring gleamed on her left hand.


	30. Shelter From the Storm

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 15: Kama Sutra. This has some citrus towards the end. Please don't read if that offends you. A special thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story. I deeply appreciate your support.

* * *

**Shelter From the Storm**

Seifer let out a sigh as he checked the sky. The storm was going to be a bad one. He had better get to work now if he wanted everything taken care of before it hit. Thankfully, he had already warned the three fishing villages in the area. In the three years since the Sorceress War, he had taken up the post of lighthouse keeper on a stretch of Centra's coast. It wasn't easy, but Seifer had been able to make a new start here, and things had been going well. The only bad thing about the job was the isolation. It was at least a few hours' sail to the nearest village, and he was the only one in the lighthouse. Fuujin and Raijin stopped by from time to time, but for the most part he was on his own.

He spent his morning making sure his boat was securely moored and that all the windows and everything else outside was ready for the storm. Seifer had supplies enough that if he was stuck here he'd be fine for at least two weeks. While the fishing villages could be reached by land, the terrain was a mess and it took twice as long as by boat. He had plenty of fuel for the light, and barring a major emergency he would be able to hole up inside for the duration of the storm.

Midday saw the start of the rain. It wasn't bad yet, but Seifer was glad that all of the outside work was done. He put soup on the stove to heat up and set about making sure everything inside was set. If the wind got too bad, he might lose the main power. There was a generator, but it made sense to have candles and lamps on every floor of the lighthouse. You never knew where you were going to be when the power went out. The wind began to pick up outside. Seifer was checking the oil level in the lamp when he heard a faint rapping noise. With a frown, he headed downstairs. What on Gaia could that be? No one in their right mind would be out today. At least, none of the locals.

The rapping got louder as he got downstairs. Seifer yanked open the door to find a bedraggled and soaked to the skin Quistis Trepe. She looked like a drowned rat.

"Seifer?"

"Get in here before you drown." He grabbed her wrist, pulling her inside. "Stay right there. I'll get you a towel and something to change into."

Quistis nodded, dazed and shivering. It didn't take him long to gather up a pair of sweats and t-shirt for her to change into and collect a towel from the bathroom. Quistis took them gratefully.

"I'm going to go into the kitchen, so you can get out of your wet things. Call me when you're done."

He busied himself putting on a kettle for hot water and fixing them both a mug of soup. What was Quistis doing here? She had been surprised to see him, so she couldn't have been here to visit him, and the woman should have more common sense than to be out in this weather.

"I'm done."

Seifer brought the mugs of soup with him as he came back into the main room. Quistis' wet things were wrapped up in the towel, and she had managed to get her hair into some semblance of a braid. His clothes were rather baggy on her smaller form making her seem young and rather vulnerable. She gave him a weak smile.

"Thank you, Seifer."

"No problem. Here, this should help warm you up." He handed her one of the mugs and gesture for her to take a seat by the little fire. "What are you doing here?"

"I," she bit her lip, "I needed some place safe to sit out the storm."

"But why, Quisty? I sort of doubt that you're just wandering around Centra for fun." He sipped his soup.

Quistis looked away. "You're right. I'm, I mean, I was here with a team on a mission. We finished it up last night."

"So where's everyone else?" It wasn't like her to leave her team behind.

"They're holed up in some caves about an hour's hike away. They'll be fine."

Seifer frowned. She was avoiding the subject. Something was wrong here.

"Quistis."

She flushed and finally met his eyes. "The rest of my team is older male SeeDs. Most of them are transfers from Galbadia. They had some expectations of me that I was not willing to fulfill. And after I told them I wasn't about to recreate their favorite positions from the _Kama Sutra_, I didn't feel comfortable spending the night there."

His eyes narrowed. Quistis was perfectly able to take care of herself under most circumstances. The fact that she actually admitted she felt uncomfortable said far more about the way she had been treated than what she had actually said.

"You're welcome to stay here as long as you need to, Quisty. The quarters will be a little tight, but it's not a problem. Last storm, I got stuck with three fishermen whose boat had run aground." Seifer smirked. "You're much better company."

That prompted a smile. Quistis let out a soft sigh. "Thank you, Seifer. So, how are you? I haven't seen much of you since the trial. Matron said you were doing well, but it would be nice to know what you've been up to."

"Let me just finish up the storm preparations. Once that's done, we can talk." He noticed her shiver. "I'll get you a blanket too. There's also more soup in the kitchen, and the water should just about be ready for tea."

When he returned, he found Quistis curled up on the floor in front of the fire. Her fingers were wrapped around a mug that smelled strongly of peppermint.

"Here." Seifer draped the blanket around her shoulders before settling next to her. "Feeling warmer?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Deciding to fill the rather awkward silence that followed that, Seifer began to recount the events that had brought him to this lighthouse and some of the adventures he'd had as its keeper. Quistis began to relax, and he even had her in stitches with his account of the great herring disaster. In turn, Quistis filled him in on some of the more amusing events back at Garden. He would have paid money to see Chicken Wuss in drag.

When her stomach started rumbling, Quistis turned a lovely shade of pink. Seifer just laughed.

"I'd say it's dinnertime. How do you feel about fish?"

"What are my other options?" Her smile was teasing.

"Well, there's also fish, and then there's fish. If you're really desperate, I think there's some shrimp in the freezer."

She just laughed. "I guess I have to go with fish then."

Quistis followed him into the kitchen, and actually proved quite helpful in preparing the meal. She set his table for the two of them as he fried their fish. Seifer found himself mildly surprised at how comfortable this was. Other than his and Matron's trials, he'd had very little contact with Quistis outside of a classroom. She seemed much more relaxed and human here than she ever had in the classroom.

She offered to wash the dishes for him. Seifer let her as it was one of his least favorite chores. He saw to banking the fire. The wind outside was howling now, and he couldn't see past the sheets of rain. It was definitely the worst storm of the season. He frowned. At this rate, they might be stuck here for a few days even after the storm ended. Still, it was rather cozy in the lighthouse. He could hear Quistis humming to herself in the kitchen, and Seifer couldn't help but think how nice it was to have another person here.

Then the lights went out. Quistis shrieked. It took him a few minutes to find the matches and get a lamp and some candles lit.

"Quisty? You okay?"

"Seifer? I think I'm fine. I just can't see anything."

He brought the lamp in the kitchen. "You can just leave the rest of those for morning. I need to check the lamp and get the rest of the lanterns I have lit. Do you want to stay down here or come with me?"

"I'll come with you if you don't mind."

It didn't take that long to get everything taken care of, and Seifer was ready to call it a night. However, that brought up the one problem with letting Quistis stay.

"So, my bedroom is on the second floor. I just need to get a few things, and then it's all yours."

Quistis froze. "I'm not kicking you out of your bed. I can sleep in the chair or on the floor downstairs."

"No way, Quisty. You're not sleeping on the floor. Matron would kill me."

They stood glaring at each other for a minute. Seifer sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "We could share the bed."

It actually wasn't as awkward as it sounded. His bed was thankfully big enough for two, and there were plenty of blankets. They went to sleep on opposite sides of the bed. Seifer would admit when he woke the next morning with Quistis snuggled up against him that it was actually kind of nice. He could still hear the rain beating at the lighthouse, and Seifer resisted the urge to simply go back to sleep. He needed to check the lamp and the little fire that served as the main heat source for the lighthouse. Then he could go back to bed.

He restarted the fire and made sure the lamp was still burning bright before heading back to bed. Seifer slid under the covers, and Quistis almost immediately snuggled up to him. He looked down at her sleeping face. What was it about this woman? He would admit that most of his taunting of her in the past was akin to the little boy pulling the braids of the girl he liked. After the war, she had been one of the few people at Garden to accept that he wasn't entirely responsible for his actions during the war. At the orphanage they had been closer to each other than any of the other children, and now he almost found himself wishing that she would stay. With that on his mind, Seifer drifted back to sleep.

When he woke again, Seifer found he had an arm draped around Quistis' waist and a pair of sleepy blue eyes peering up at him.

"Morning."

"Morning, Quisty." And then on impulse, he leaned in and kissed her.

It was a brief kiss, but it lingered between them. However, he didn't seem to have ruined everything as Quistis smiled up at him.

"Is the storm going?" she asked.

"It is. I won't really have anything to do until it stops."

"Does that mean we can just stay in bed?" Quistis' smile grew. "I haven't been able to sleep in for ages."

"By all means then, stay in bed. I'm going in search of breakfast."

"You do that." Quistis snuggled deeper into the covers.

He was almost out the door when she called. "Oh, and I'd love a cup of tea."

Seifer just laughed. He puttered around his kitchen, finishing washing the dishes from last night and seeing what there was to eat for breakfast. He finally settled on pancakes and bacon. As the smell of the cooking food began to fill the lighthouse, Quistis appeared in the kitchen doorway. He grinned.

"Want to set the table? This should be ready in a few more minutes."

Quistis shot him a smile and stole a piece of bacon. Seifer found it very natural to be sharing his morning with her. After they had eaten and cleaned up, the pair settled in front of the fire in the living room. Seifer with the lighthouse keeper's log to update, and Quistis with a book she had found on one of his shelves. The rain began to die down in the early afternoon though the wind was still howling. Seifer sighed. He was going to have to go out and see if there was any damage soon. Unless the wind calmed down, he wasn't going to be going any where, but he could at least get a start on the repairs he could do without help.

Once the seas had calmed down enough, he would need to check in with the local fishing villages. Hopefully, no had been foolish enough to try and brave the storm. He'd help out with any search and rescue, but Seifer doubted anyone could have survived that gale.

"Seifer?"

"Yes."

"Thank you for letting me stay here."

He smiled. "No problem. I've enjoyed having the company."

And he was. Seifer didn't know if it was the fact that he hadn't spent this much time with people recently or if it was just Quistis herself, but this was nice. Quistis even opted to join him when he went outside to take a look around and see if there was any damage. He had been lucky. The power outage could be fixed by simply reattaching the lines. There was some minor damage to the dock, but he could have that repaired in an afternoon or so. He'd lost some shingles from the roof as well.

"How long will all this take to fix?" Quistis asked as they headed back inside. Dusk was falling, so any repairs would have to wait until tomorrow.

"If you want to help, we can have it all done tomorrow. What? Eager to get back to Garden?"

To his surprise, she blushed and looked away. The subject was dropped, and their normal comfortable relationship resumed. The evening shared the same pattern as the night before, and Seifer woke the next morning once again in a good mood. Quistis had once again snuggled up to him in the middle of the night. He liked waking up to her sleeping face. After breakfast, Quistis offered to give him a hand with the repairs.

They spent most of the morning working on the roof. Quistis proved to be rather helpful. Seifer hadn't though that they taught roof repair at Garden. When he asked, however, Quistis just laughed.

"You'd be surprised what you learn on some of the intelligence gathering missions. Besides, unlike some SeeDs I know, I believe in pulling my weight."

There was some bitterness in her voice. Seifer raised an eyebrow.

"Not enjoying life at Garden?"

Quistis sighed. "I'm just really sick of working with idiots."

Taking a break for lunch, Seifer couldn't help but wonder if Quistis might want to stay here. He was more than a little shocked to realize that he would rather like that. The pair tackled the dock after eating. It took most of the afternoon and early evening. By the time they were finished, the sun had set, and they were both exhausted.

"You can have the shower first," he offered. "I get dinner started."

"Thanks, Seifer."

Fifteen minutes later, Quistis reappeared wrapped in a towel. "Shower's free."

He had a hard time tearing his gaze away from the rather enticing picture she made. "Thanks."

When he finished with his shower, Seifer found her once again dressed in his sweats. Quistis looked up from the salad she was fixing.

"Hey. It shouldn't be much longer."

"Great. I'm starving." He hesitated before offering, "I think there's some chocolate ice cream in the back of the freezer."

Her eyes lit up. "Really?"

Later, Seifer watched as she practically devoured her dish of ice cream. Apparently, Quistis was very fond of chocolate. With a sigh, she licked the spoon clean.

"You missed a spot."

"Where?" Her tongue flicked out to catch it.

"On your right cheek."

She couldn't quite reach it. Seifer found himself leaning in and licking the offending spot of chocolate off her skin. The next thing he knew he was kissing her. His tongue slipped into her mouth taste chocolate and honey from her tea. Quistis kissed back fiercely, her fingers sliding into his hair. Seifer pulled her into his lap, one hand slipping beneath her shirt. Seifer really wasn't aware of anything other than Quistis. Everything else was simply a jumble of motion.

They must have made it upstairs though as they were tumbling into bed. He had lost his shirt somewhere along the way while Quistis was now clad only in her panties. Hovering above her, Seifer dusted kisses across her collar bones before venturing lower. He palmed one of her breasts as his mouth closed over the nipple of the other. Quistis made soft sounds in the back of her throat. She pushed up against him, slipping her hand into his pants. Seifer kissed her mouth again.

"Off," she panted when he released her lips, tugging at his pants.

Seifer was happy to oblige. He quickly divested himself of his pants and his boxes only to find himself being flipped over onto his back. Quistis sat astride him with a teasing grin, her long hair obscuring much of his view. Seifer caught one of her hands in his own, pressing a kiss to her palm.

"Tease."

Her grin simply grew wider, and she rocked forward against him. One of her hands wrapped around his shaft, guiding him into her. Seifer let out a moan. His hands moved to play with her breasts as she began to rock up and down. Quistis felt so warm and tight, and the look on her face was breathtaking. He doubted he could last much longer. Seifer slipped one hand in between them and began to finger her clit even as she sped up their rhythm. She gasped as he put just a little more pressure on it, her muscles quivering around him, and Seifer let go.

Afterwards, he cuddled her close feeling relaxed and content. Quistis pressed a kiss to his neck, and he held her a little closer. Neither of them spoke, but it wasn't an awkward silence. In a warm cocoon of blankets, they drifted off to sleep together.

Seifer was reluctant to leave the comfort of his bed and Quistis' arms the next morning, but he could hear the sound of a ship's bell. He had visitors. He slid out of bed, careful not to disturb the sleeping woman beside him and kissed her forehead. He dressed quickly and headed out to see who was paying him a visit.

The boat was from the nearest fishing village. They had wanted to check on him after the storm. They were also looking for Quistis. The rest of her team had made it to the village about a day after the storm had ended. Seifer sighed. It looked like their time here was at an end. He didn't want to go wake Quistis up, but he knew he needed to. Leaving the fishermen to unload the supplies they had brought, he headed back inside.

Quistis was still curled up in his bed, the cover pulled tight around her. Seifer leaned in and kissed her before gently shaking her.

"Quisty. Come on, Quisty. You need to get up."

She let out a sleepy little moan and opened her eyes. A smile flit across her face, and Quistis pulled him down for another kiss. "Good morning."

He sighed. "Good morning, Quisty. We have visitors."

"Visitors?" She frowned. "My team?"

"Not exactly. Fishermen from the nearest village. Your team made it there after the storm."

"Oh."

She looked downcast and sad, and all Seifer wanted to do was make that expression go away.

"I could tell them you're not here if you want."

"No." It was her turn to sigh. "I'll be down in a few minutes."

Seifer turned to go.

"Seifer?"

He looked back at her. Quistis offered him a shy smile.

"These past few days have been the best time I've had in years."

Twenty minutes later she joined him out on the docks wearing the same outfit she'd shown up on his doorstep in. She didn't seem that happy to be leaving. Quistis lingered, wasting time. She thanked him yet again for his hospitality and kissed him. Then she bit her lip and quietly asked:

"Would you mind if I came back here sometime?"

Seifer smirked and leaned into kiss her. "You're welcome anytime, Quistis."

Three months later, Seifer stood on his dock and watched as his girlfriend waved from the bow of the approaching boat. Since moving her permanently just two months ago, Quistis had offered to help out at the schools in the local fishing villages. As the boat pulled up to the dock, she swung over the side to give him a hand mooring the sailboat.

"We should be set for the month," Quistis grinned. "It won't take too long unload."

"Good. Was my package in?"

She pulled a small box out of her pocket. "This?"

"That's it." Seifer smirked. "Why don't you open it? It is for you after all."

Quistis raised an eyebrow but eagerly tore into the little package. When she paused, he knew she had seen it.

"For me?" Her voice was soft.

"If you want it." He smiled.

The delicate gold and pearl ring was slipped on her left hand before she grabbed his jacket's lapels and pulled him down for a kiss. Seifer would take that as a yes.


End file.
